Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan's star javelin thrower and gold medallist at the Paris Olympics 2024, responded to Neeraj Chopra’s mother’s ‘like a son’ remark. Saroj Devi, Neeraj's mother, had expressed that she considered Nadeem like a son after he defeated Neeraj to win the gold medal at the Games.
Saroj Devi had expresed that a silver medal is just as valuable as gold to them and shared that the gold medalist, Arshad, is also like a son to her. In response to her statements, Nadeem gave a heartfelt reply, expressing his gratitude for her kind words. He acknowledged that a mother's prayers are for everyone and credited her for the success he and Neeraj achieved, winning medals among all the competitors.
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"A mother is a mother for everyone, so she prays for everyone too. I'm grateful to Neeraj Chopra's mother. Woh bhi meri maa hai (She's my mother too). She prayed for us, and we were just two players from South Asia who performed on the world stage," Nadeem told Pakistani media, the video of which is going viral on the internet.
Watch the viral video here:
Arshad Nadeem Scripted History By Winning Gold At Paris 2024
Nadeem made history by becoming the first athlete from Pakistan to win an individual Olympic gold medal. Nadeem's massive 92.97m throw shattered the Olympic record, securing him the gold, while Neeraj settled for silver with his season-best throw of 89.45m.
"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," Saroj Devi had said after Nadeem won the gold and Neeraj the silver.