New Delhi, April 26 - Two-time Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra hit back at those who targeted him for inviting Pakistani player Arshad Nadeem to participate in the NC Classic, saying it was an invitation from one player to another, sent before the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist and Haryana's Paris Games silver medallist said he was deeply saddened to see his and his family's honesty being questioned in social media posts. It is worth noting that Neeraj Chopra had invited Pakistani player Nadeem for the first Neeraj Chopra Classic to be held in Bengaluru on May 24. However, Nadeem declined the invitation citing his busy schedule.
Chopra wrote in a long post on social media, “There is a lot of talk about my invitation to Arshad Nadeem to participate in the Neeraj Chopra Classic and most of it is hateful and objectionable. They have not spared my family either.” He wrote, “I usually don’t speak much but that doesn’t mean I won’t speak against the wrong. That too when my love for our country is being questioned and my family’s honour is at stake.”
Chopra said the invitation letter was sent on Monday, two days before the Pahalgam terror attack, which was an invitation from one player to another and nothing more or less. He said the aim of the Neeraj Chopra Classic is to bring out the best players of India and organise a world-class sporting event in our country.
Meanwhile, Chopra also shed light on his mother Saroj’s statement after the Paris Games last year in which she described Nadeem as her son. "I also find it difficult to understand how people change their minds. When my mother made an innocent comment a year ago in her simplicity, her views were showered with praise. Today, the same people have not shied away from targeting her for the same statement," he wrote. "After what happened in the last 48 hours, there was no question of Arshad playing in the NC Classic. My country and its interests always come first. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their loved ones. I am also saddened and angry with the entire country." He said he believed that our country's response would show our strength as a nation and justice would be done. "In the meantime, I will work even harder to ensure that the world remembers India and looks upon it with respect for all the right reasons," Chopra said. "It hurts to see my integrity questioned. "I feel sad that I have to explain to those who are targeting me and my family for no reason." The player said, "We are ordinary people, please don't make us into something else. Some sections of the media have created a lot of false stories around me, but just because I don't speak up, it doesn't make it true."