India’s Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has hit out at Hindutva bigots for using his comments about Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem to further their ‘propaganda.’
Sharing a short video message, Neeraj wrote, “I would request everyone to please not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda. Sports teaches us to be together and united. I’m extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments.”
In a recent interview to Times of India, Neeraj was quoted as saying, “I was searching for my javelin at the start of the final. I was not able to find it. Suddenly, I saw Arshad Nadeem was moving around with my javelin. Then i told him, ‘Bhai give this javelin to me! I have to throw with it.’ Then he gave it back to me. That’s why you must have seen I took my first throw hurriedly.”
मेरी आप सभी से विनती है की मेरे comments को अपने गंदे एजेंडा को आगे बढ़ाने का माध्यम न बनाए। Sports हम सबको एकजूट होकर साथ रहना सिखाता हैं और कमेंट करने से पहले खेल के रूल्स जानना जरूरी होता है ???????? pic.twitter.com/RLv96FZTd2
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 26, 2021
This had prompted Hindutva hatemongers to launch an attack on Arshad accusing him of attempting to sabotage the Indian star’s Olympic chances. But Neeraj made it clear that the Pakistani athlete was not tampering with his javelin.
He said in the video message, “Arshad Nadeem was not tampering with my javelin. He was just practicing for his throw, and nothing else.” Neeraj said that it was common for players to use each other’s javelin during the competition.
“We keep our personal javelin during the event and anyone can use it. There is no specific rule about it,” the star athlete said.
A visibly pained Indian Gold medallist said, “Sports teaches us to be together and united. I’m extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments,
“Sports teaches us to be together and united.”
Neeraj had created history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first athlete to win a Gold medal in athletics. He had thrown a distance of more than 87 meters to win a Gold medal. Several state governments had announced monetary rewards worth crores of rupees on his historic feat.