Neeraj Chopra and Arshaad Nadeem at the Asian Games. | Photo: X/@Ashutos59663780
Following Neeraj Chopra's silver medal win on Thursday, August 8, at the Paris Olympics, his mother Saroj Devi praised him and mentioned that Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the gold medal winner, is also “our child who has worked hard.”
After winning the gold in Tokyo in 2020, Chopra became the first track and field athlete from India to win two consecutive Olympic medals when he took home the silver in the men's javelin throw event in Paris.
In an interaction with ANI, Devi talked about how happy the family was for Chopra's victory and called Nadeem "hamara ladka," or "our child," adding that he had also put in a lot of work, the Wire reported.
“Everyone is really happy. For us, silver is also gold… the boy who got gold [Arshad Nadeem] is also my child, everyone goes there after doing a lot of hard work,” Chopra’s mother said.
With his second effort, Pakistan's Nadeem shattered the Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters, making it tough for the other competitors—including Tokyo gold medallist Neeraj Chopra—to surpass, according to the Economic Times. With a groin injury preventing him from competing in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Chopra only made one valid throw of 89.45 meters in the second round, to secure the second place.
‘Everyone has their day, today it was Pakistan’s’
Satish, Neeraj's father, declared that Pakistan was having a great day in the men's javelin throw final and expressed his extreme delight in his son's performance. He added that Chopra's injury affected how well he performed.
“Everyone has their day. Today was Pakistan’s day. But we have won silver, and it is a proud thing for us. I think his groin injury had a part in his performance,” Satish told ANI.
“Neeraj’s success in Paris will serve as an inspiration for the next generation. He has won silver for the country. We are happy and proud. All the youths will get inspired by him,” he told reporters as the family celebrated Chopra’s win.
Devi also said that she would make a churma for him. “He (Neeraj Chopra) has done very well and we will give him a grand welcome upon his return. He loves churma, so we will make it for him.”
Devi's reference to the Pakistani player as her child elicited endearing responses on social media and provided a welcome diversion from the communal background that often permeates discussions about India-Pakistan relations. A user on X wrote, “Ma ke dil mein sab ke liye pyaar hota hai (There’s love for everyone in a mother’s heart).”
Chopra had already shown his support for Nadeem earlier this year when the Pakistani player disclosed that he had been unable to obtain a new javelin and had been using the same equipment for almost eight years. “It has now got to a stage where the javelin is damaged, and I have asked the national federation and my coach to do something about it before the Paris Olympics,” Nadeem had said in March this year.
“It is hard to believe that he has been struggling to get a new javelin,” Chopra had remarked. “Given his credentials, this should not be a big issue at all. Arshad is a top javelin thrower, and I believe that the javelin makers will be more than happy to sponsor him and provide what he needs,” Chopra had said urging the Pakistan government to help Nadeem.