"Usually A Man Of Few Words": Neeraj Chopra Slams 'Abusers' For Invitation To Pak Athlete
Haryana: For an Indian athlete who has made an immense contribution to the country, it would be painful to issue a statement to protect himself from the hate spates, not from outsiders, but from a section within the home state. On Friday, Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra said that he was deeply hurt to see his and his family’s integrity being questioned in abusive social media posts after the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Indian athlete had invited his Pakistani counterpart, Arshad Nadeem, who defeated him in Paris last year to win the gold medal, to participate in the Neeraj Chopra Classic event at Bengaluru. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, a section of netizens unleashed vicious cyber assaults against Chopra and his family, including his mother Saroj Devi, who last year congratulated Arshad Nadeem while appreciating the duo’s athletic spirit and camaraderie.
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Despite the fact that the invitation to his friend was sent before the Pahalgam attack, and it was withdrawn after the gruesome incident, the right-wing groups unleashed harsh cyberattack against the athlete.
In a social media post, the 26-year-old Tokyo Olympics gold-medallist and Paris Games silver-winning star from Haryana said he was well aware of the chatter surrounding his invitation to Nadeem after the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by terrorist on Thursday afternoon.
“I am usually a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean I will stay silent when I see something wrong — especially when my love for the country and the honor of my family are being questioned,” Chopra wrote, adding that they haven’t even left his family out of it.
He elaborated that the invitation he extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another and nothing more, nothing less. The aim of the NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events. “Invites went out to all athletes on Monday, two days before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam,” the Indian athlete wrote.
Chopra further talked about the Pahalgam terrorist attack, noting that Arshad’s presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question, and that his country and its interests will always come first. Meanwhile, Nadeem has confirmed that he will not participate in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, citing his preparations for the upcoming Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. Nadeem, however, appreciated Neeraj Chopra’s invitation.
Chopra then said that it pains him that he has to explain himself to the people who are targeting him and his family, for no good reasons. “There are so many false narratives certain sections of the media have created about me, but just because I do not speak up, it does not make it true,” he added.
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Chopra then lamented the targeting of her mother, Saroj, in her statement after the Paris Games last year in which she described Nadeem as akin to her son. I also find it difficult to understand how people switch opinions. When my mother – in her simplicity – made an innocent comment a year ago, there was an outpouring of praise for her views. Today, the same people haven’t held back from targeting her for that very same statement. “I, meanwhile, will work even harder to ensure that the world remembers India and looks at it with envy and respect for all the right reasons,” the athlete wrote on X.
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) April 25, 2025
