Reigning Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan has chosen not to respond to Neeraj Chopra’s recent comments about their relationship, citing ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan as the reason for his silence.
Nadeem, who stunned the world by clinching gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a throw of 92.97 meters, was asked on Thursday to react to Chopra’s statement that the two were “never close friends.” The Indian Olympic gold medallist had made the remarks in the lead-up to the Doha Diamond League, amid strained bilateral relations triggered by a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that claimed 26 civilian lives.
“I don’t want to make any comments about Neeraj because of the ongoing conflict with India,” Nadeem told reporters. “I come from a village, and I will only say that my family and I will always stand with our army.”
Ahead of the Diamond League meet in Doha, Neeraj Chopra had said:
“I want to clarify that I don’t have a particularly strong relationship with Nadeem – we were never really close friends. But because of the current situation, things will not be as they were. That said, if someone speaks to me with respect, I always respond in kind.”
This remark came after Chopra had extended an invitation to Nadeem to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, a now-postponed event that was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru. The invitation, however, was reportedly sent before the Pahalgam terror attack, which led to Operation Sindoor, India’s cross-border military operation targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). A ceasefire has since been declared, but political relations remain frosty.
The Chopra–Nadeem rivalry has captivated fans since the 2018 Asian Games, where both emerged as elite javelin throwers in the global arena. Their sporting battles have spanned events including the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and now the Olympics. At the Paris Games, while Chopra was the favorite, it was Nadeem who delivered a career-best and clinched Pakistan’s first Olympic athletics gold.
Despite their shared success, the friendship narrative that often accompanied their on-field camaraderie now appears strained. Chopra’s recent statement and Nadeem’s response (or lack thereof) suggest that geopolitical tensions have seeped into the world of sports, making neutral sportsmanship increasingly difficult to sustain.
As both athletes prepare for upcoming international events — including the Asian Athletics Championships and the Diamond League circuit — attention remains not just on their athletic form but also on how they navigate this highly charged political backdrop.
Security experts and sports officials alike have urged that athletes not be made scapegoats for diplomatic tensions, but in this case, the delicate balance between patriotism and professional sportsmanship is clearly being tested.
For now, the world watches as two of the best javelin throwers on the planet continue their sporting journeys — now shadowed by national sentiment and political divides.
