'Now we are winning among Europeans': Neeraj Chopra reveals chat with PAK's Arshad Nadeem

Neeraj Chopra etched his name in history by becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to secure a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday. This remarkable feat was achieved in the Men's javelin event, where Chopra clinched the top honor with a staggering throw reaching 88.17 meters. The event in Budapest, Hungary also saw Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem claiming the silver medal, while Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic secured the bronze medal.

3 things you need to know

• Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships 2023
• He became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Championships
• He spoke about Arshad Nadeem and India-Pakistan rivalry after the event

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Neeraj Chopra reveals his conversation with Arshad Nadeem

After the event, Neeraj Chopra took part in a press conference, where he touched upon various topics. In response to a Republic World's question about his conversation with Arshad Nadeem, Chopra shared that he connected with the Pakistani athlete after the event's culmination, extending his congratulations. He also mentioned how happy Arshad was to see two Asian sportsmen secure the top spots.  Additionally, Chopra touched upon the heightened anticipation surrounding the India-Pakistan rivalry in the lead-up to Sunday's final.

"It was good to see that even Arshad could make a medal-winning throw. When we later met, he was overjoyed to see how much both of our nations had developed. Athletes from Europe predominated in the past, but now even we are winning medals among them. It feels good to see this progress. And at home, people always put pressure by doing India-Pakistan. But it's okay because we get used to handling that pressure, and it helps when we perform on a bigger platform like the Olympics. I have a feeling that during the Asian Games, pressure from those back home will increase (laughs). They'll start this rivalry. However, maintaining my health and fitness will be of utmost importance to me in order to avoid injury. The rest, we'll see," Chopra said about his meeting with Arshad Nadeem. 

When questioned about whom he would dedicate his well-deserved medal, Chopra refrained from singling out an individual and instead expressed his gratitude to his family, coaches, team, and the federation for their unwavering support.

"Since there are so many people who contribute, I am at a loss for who to name. My family, my coaches, my team, and the federation," Neeraj Chopra said.

During the final, Chopra encountered a falter with a foul throw during his first attempt. Nevertheless, he swiftly recuperated, delivering a remarkable display on his second try, which ultimately emerged as the standout throw of the entire event. Achieving an impressive distance of 88.17 meters, Chopra firmly established his commanding position atop the leaderboard.

Arshad Nadeem secured the second position in the overall rankings, achieving a distance of 87.82 meters on his third attempt. The third place was claimed by Jakub Vadlejch, who achieved his best throw of 86.67 meters on his fifth and final attempt. 

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Chopra trumps his previous World Athletics performance

Neeraj Chopra, who currently holds the second position in the men's javelin world rankings, had previously secured the Olympic gold in Tokyo. However, in the World Championships held in the United States last year, he secured a silver medal as Anderson Peters of Grenada claimed the gold. The 25-year-old had registered an 88.13m throw in the event. Chopra demonstrated an improvement in his performance this year to win the gold.

Image: JioCinema