Updated 15 May 2025 at 17:24 IST
'We Were Never Really Close Friends': Neeraj Chopra Puts Nation First, Refutes Claims Of Him Being Friends With Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem
Neeraj Chopra is a two time Olympic medalist as he won the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics and silver medal in the Paris Olympics.
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Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem | Image:
AP
Neeraj Chopra is one of the top athletes that has been produced by India. A Subedar Major in the Army, Neeraj Chopra is an Olympic gold medalist and a silver medalist in javelin throw. Recently, Neeraj Chopra who is also referred to as the Golden Boy of India, was hosting the NC Classic Event in Bengaluru where top javelin stars from around the world were supposed to compete against one another. Ahead of the NC Classic which is now cancelled, Neeraj Chopra had also extended an invite to Pakistan's javelin star Arshad Nadeem.
Following the invite to Arshad Nadeem, Neeraj Chopra faced a lot of flak from Indian fans on social media as tensions ran high following the Pahalgam terror attack which saw 26 people lose their lives.
Neeraj Chopra Disregards Arshad Nadeem As A Friend
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Neeraj Chopra missed out on the gold medal to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem. Following an epic contest the two seemed to be friendly with each other. Following this Neeraj Chopra also extended an invite to Arshad Nadeem for the NC Classic event. However, Neeraj Chopra has now refuted the claims of being a close friend to Arshad Nadeem.
"First, we were never really close friends or something. And things won't be the same after this (referring to the recent Indo-Pak tensions) but if someone talks to me respectfully I reciprocate the respect," said Neeraj Chopra as quoted by the Press Trust Of India.
About Operation Sindoor That Was Conducted By The Indian Armed Forces
In retaliation of the Pahalgam Terror attack which saw 26 civilians lose their lives at the hands of Pakistani terrorists, conducted Operation Sindoor. During Operation Sindoor, India conducted air strikes on nine terrorist bases across Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
This lead to increased tensions between India and Pakistan as India continued to hammer Pakistan.
Published 15 May 2025 at 17:24 IST