Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem, who created history by winning the gold medal in the javelin throw event at the Paris Olympics, is happy that his rivalry with Indian star Neeraj Chopra remains a topic of discussion as he believes it inspires the youth of both countries.
Nadeem won the gold medal on Thursday night by throwing the javelin 92.97 meters, setting a new Olympic record. Chopra also gave his best performance this season by measuring a distance of 89.45 meters and won the silver medal. This is the first time in 11 competitions that Nadeem has left Chopra behind.
After becoming the first Pakistani player to win an individual gold medal, 27-year-old Nadeem told reporters, “When it comes to cricket matches or any other sports, there is definitely rivalry involved. But it is a good thing for both the countries who want to join sports and bring glory to their country by following us and their sports idols.”
He is also Pakistan’s first individual medallist since boxer Hussain Shah won a bronze medal in middle-weight at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Nadeem and Chopra are good friends off the field despite being fierce competitors on the field. A few months ago, when Nadeem made a fund raising appeal on social media to buy a good javelin, Chopra also supported him.
Nadeem said, “I am grateful to my country. Everyone prayed for me and I was fully hopeful of performing well. I was suffering from a knee injury for some time but after recovering from it, I worked on my fitness. I was fully hopeful of throwing the javelin beyond 92.97 meters but in the end that effort proved enough to win the gold medal.” He said, “I will continue to work hard and give my best in the future. My goal is to throw the javelin even farther than this.”
Nadeem said that earlier he wanted to become a cricketer and he had also tried his hand at table tennis. He said, “I was a cricketer earlier and I have also played table tennis and I also participated in other athletics competitions. But my coach said that with the kind of physique I have, I can become a good javelin thrower. After this, from 2016 onwards, I focused my entire attention on javelin throw.”
Nadeem said, “I come from a farmer family and whenever I win a medal, I remember my past which inspires me to perform even better. That is why I am still humble and want to be more successful.
