Arshad Nadeem breaks silence on Neeraj Chopra's 'not close friends' remark: 'I will always stand with our army'
Here's what Arshad Nadeem had to say about Neeraj Chopra's ‘we were never close friends’ remark.
Pakistan's javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, refused to comment on Neeraj Chopra's recent remarks about their friendship. The 28-year-old brought up the recent cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan in the conversation when he was asked to address Neeraj Chopra's recent comments ahead of the Doha Diamond League.
Ahead of the Doha Diamond League, Neeraj Chopra had recently remarked that he never shared a close friendship with Arshad Nadeem. He also said that their dynamic is likely to change following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists.
"I want to clarify that I don't have a particularly strong relationship with Nadeem - we were never really close friends. But because of the current situation, things will not be as they were. That said, if someone speaks to me with respect, I always respond in kind," Neeraj told reporters on the eve of the Doha Diamond League.
Arshad Nadeem was asked about this particular Neeraj Chopra comment on Thursday ahead of his departure for the Asian Athletics Championships.
Responding to this query, Arshad told reporters, "I don't want to make any comments about Neeraj because of the ongoing conflict with India. I come from a village, and I will only say that my family and I will always stand with our army."
Neeraj faces backlash
Earlier, Neeraj Chopra, who recently threw 90m for the first time in his career, faced backlash from fans on social media after he invited Arshad Nadeem to the now-postponed inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic.
The World Athletics-approved event was originally scheduled to be played in Bengaluru. Neeraj had extended invitations to international javelin throwers, including Arshad.
However, it must be mentioned that the invitations were sent prior to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The tensions between both countries then escalated at the border. However, a ceasefire was eventually declared.
Neeraj and Arshad have been having intense battles since the 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. At the Paris Olympics, where Neeraj Chopra was the hot favourite to win the gold medal, Arshad Nadeem stubbed the world with a throw of 92.97 metres.
