Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem: A heartwarming tale of friendship beyond Olympic and its medals – Times of India

If there’s some other sport aside from cricket the place individuals from each India and Pakistan depart the whole lot and are glued to the tv screens, it’s the javelin throw. With both– Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra creating histories individually on August 9, 2024, the javelin throw has develop into a brand new fashionable sport within the rival neighbouring international locations.For the unversed, on August ninth, Arshad Nadeem created a brand new world file by throwing the javelin at a distance of 92.97m (breaking the earlier world file of 90.57 meters) and profitable gold for it and Neeraj Chopra received a silver for throwing at a distance of 89.45m on the 2024 Paris Olympics. And whereas they is perhaps rivals on-field, their off-field friendship is what has caught individuals’s consideration and introduced individuals nearer throughout the India-Pak border.

Nadeem and Neeraj are pop-cultures’ new favorite brothers from totally different moms. Not solely do they share their ardour for javelin, however in addition they have fairly a couple of similarities– be it their humble upbringings in small villages throughout the border, or the challenges they’ve confronted on their skilled journeys. Whereas Neeraj was born right into a household of farmers in Haryana’s Khandar village, Nadeem was born to Muhammad Ashraf– who works as a mason in Pakistan’s village Mian Channu. The duo are additionally nearly of the identical age– born just some months apart– who’ve now created a distinct segment for themselves in a sport which wasn’t a lot heard of earlier by individuals within the two international locations!

Their skilled rivalry and off-field friendship return to 2016 when the 2 had first competed in opposition to one another. “My first competitors with Neeraj was in Guwahati, India, the place I had thrown 78.33m breaking Pakistan’s first file again then,” Nadeem shared in a media interplay after profitable on the 2024 Paris Olympics not too long ago. Through the years, they’ve met and competed at a number of occasions and their friendship has solely grown.
However individuals have usually tried to create a rift between the 2, nevertheless, because of their sportsmanship and mutual respect, Neeraj and Nadeem haven’t let soiled politics get between their friendship. As an illustration, within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, there was a short second when Neeraj could not discover his javelin. He later noticed Nadeem who had by chance taken it, and had requested him to return because it was his flip to play– a request to which Nadeem immediately obliged. Nonetheless, some individuals misinterpreted this incident and accused Nadeem on social media of making an attempt to sabotage India. However Neeraj stood up for Nadeem and shut up the haters by saying, “I might request everybody to please not use me and my feedback as a medium to additional your vested pursuits and propaganda. Sports activities teaches us to be collectively and united. I’m extraordinarily upset to see a number of the reactions from the general public to my current feedback.” In the meantime, Nadeem who had landed on the fifth spot within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics whereas Neeraj received the gold again then, was all reward of Neeraj regardless of his setback. Equally, regardless that Neeraj could not defend his earlier gold medal on the Olympics, he praised Nadeem for his efficiency this time saying that it was Nadeem’s evening.

Extra not too long ago, in March 2024, just some months earlier than the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nadeem was struggling to get a brand new javelin or sponsors for it and it was Neeraj who supported him. Neeraj even made a public attraction to assist Nadeem in getting a brand new javelin.
Not simply Neeraj and Nadeem, however their moms additionally praised each of them. After Neeraj misplaced the gold to Nadeem and secured a silver on the 2024 Paris Olympics, Neeraj’s mom Saroj Devi instructed ANI, “We’re very proud of the silver, the one who bought gold (Arshad Nadeem) can also be our little one and the one who bought silver can also be our little one… All are athletes, all work laborious… Nadeem can also be good, he performs nicely, and there’s no distinction between Neeraj and Nadeem. We bought gold and silver, there is no such thing as a distinction for us.”

Her sentiments had been reciprocated by Nadeem’s mom, Raziah Parveen, too from throughout the border. Raziah Parveen instructed the Unbiased Urdu, ““They aren’t solely buddies however brothers and I additionally pray for Neeraj that he will get extra success. Neeraj can also be like our son and I pray for him that he wins medals. Successful and dropping is a part of sport however they’re like brothers.”
Really then, Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem haven’t simply received the Olympic medals but additionally proven that their hearts are additionally fabricated from silver and gold. Their friendship is a ravishing testomony to true sportsmanship, comradeship, mutual respect, and professionalism at a time when the world wants extra of it.