After the Paris Olympics 2024 silver medallist Neeraj Chopra's mother won many hearts by referring to his rival, Pakistan's gold medallist Arshad Nadeem, as like a son to her, Nadeem's mother has echoed similar sentiments. Despite their fierce rivalry, Chopra and Nadeem share a deep bond. After their 1-2 finish in the javelin throw final, both families have expressed mutual affection, with Chopra’s mother considering Arshad as a son and Nadeem’s mother reciprocating, viewing Neeraj in the same light.
In an interview following her son’s gold medal win at the Olympics 2024, Arshad Nadeem's mother described Neeraj Chopra as like a son to her, expressing that he is both a friend and a brother to Arshad.
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"He (Neeraj) is also like a son. He is Nadeem's friend and also his brother. Wins and losses are part of the sport. May god bless him, may he win medals. They are like brothers, I've prayed for Neeraj too," Arshad's mother said in a video that is making the rounds on the internet.
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Earlier, in an interview with ANI, Neeraj Chopra's mother, Saroj Devi, referred to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem as 'like a son' and expressed that even a silver medal holds immense value, comparing it to gold for them.
"No regrets, we are so so happy, extremely happy. Even a silver medal is equivalent to a gold medal for us. It's okay if he (Arshad Nadeem) has taken the gold (medal), he is also one of us, from our house, like a son. Even he worked hard for it as well," said Saroj Devi.
Neeraj Chopra Claims Silver For India At Paris 2024, Nadeem Sets Olympic Record
Notably, the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, Neeraj Chopra, won India's fifth medal and its sole silver at the Paris 2024 Games. He earned the silver with a throw of 89.45 metres, narrowly missing out on gold to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 metres.