India-Pakistan tensions: Not just India and Pakistan banning airspace for each other’s aircraft, the soaring tensions between the neighbouring nations have also left relations between Indian and Pakistani athletes hanging in the balance. Pakistani Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem declined to comment on Indian star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who was recently trolled for inviting the Olympic gold medallist for the now-postponed NC Classic in Bengaluru, due to ongoing cross-border tensions.
“I don’t want to make any comments about Neeraj because of the ongoing conflict with India,” Nadeem told reporters in Lahore, Pakistan. “I come from a village and I will only say that my family and I will always stand with our army,” news wire PTI quoted Nadeem as saying.
Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem
Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Chopra too had echoed sentiments similar to those of Arshad Nadeem, ahead of the Doha leg of the Diamond League Meeting on May 15. The star javelin thrower stated that he and Nadeem were never really close friends, reported PTI.
Neeraj Chopra had finished second best to Arshad Nadeem at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra Classic — Arshad Nadeem’s invite cancelled
Chopra had previously extended an invitation to Nadeem to participate in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, a World Athletics-sanctioned event initially scheduled for Bengaluru. However, the event has since been postponed.
The invite was sent prior to the tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. In the aftermath, Chopra faced criticism from sections of social media for including Nadeem in the event lineup.
“I usually am a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean I will not speak up against what I think is wrong. More so when it comes to questioning my love for our country, and the respect and honour of our country. There has been so much talk about my decision to invite Arshad Nadeem to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, and most of it has been hate and abuse. They haven’t left my family out of it,” Neeraj Chopra had said.
