Photo credit: Free Press Journal
Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem Deliver a Masterclass in Sportsmanship and Brotherhood
Athletes Neeraj Chopra from India and Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan are champions on and off the field. Their heartwarming exchange of love and brotherhood has been a ray of sunshine in today’s polarizing times, making people on both sides of the border smile.
Both athletes recently excelled in the javelin throw category at the 2023 IAAF World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary. Chopra bagged the gold prize in the men’s javelin event with a best throw of 88.17m, becoming the first Indian to win a gold at the Worlds, a year after he became the first Indian to win silver in the competition.
Following closely behind was Nadeem, who was participating for the first time at the event and had a best throw of 87.82m.
A day before the final, Arshad is reported to have sent a message to his Indian counterpart, saying: “ Neeraj bhai. Aap bhi achcha karein. Hum bhi acha karein. Aapka naam hai world me, hamara bhi naam aye (Neeraj brother, may you and I both do do well. You have a name in the world. I hope I also get my name in the world)”.
Responding to Nadeem’s post, Chopra said: “I don’t use my mobile much before competition but today I looked at it and the first thing was India versus Pakistan.”
“I felt good that Arshad threw well, and we discussed how both our countries are growing now. Earlier there were European athletes but now we have reached their level,” said Chopra.
On the field, Chopra extended a hand towards Nadeem, asking him to join him for a photo-op after winning the Gold at World Championships.
Later, in an interview with the Press Trust of India , Nadeem said that he shares a healthy competition with Neeraj.
“Neeraj and I have a very healthy competition, and we respect each other a lot. There is no Pakistan-India rivalry. When we talk, we are just happy that both of us have come to the fore in a competition usually dominated by Europeans,” Nadeem said.
Meanwhile, Chopra’s mother Saroj Devi when asked by a reporter off-camera about her emotions regarding her son’s victory over Arshad, said: “Look, everyone has come to play in the field. One or the other will definitely win. So, there is no question of being from Pakistan or Haryana.”
“It is a matter of great happiness,” added Devi. “Even if that Pakistani had won, there would’ve been great happiness.” – Sapan News
