Pakistan Olympian Arshad Nadeem Speaks Up On Javelin Controversy And Neeraj Chopra. This Is What He Said

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem has also come out to share his opinion and said that the incident was "pretty common during competition". See his full statement.

(File Photos/ Getty Images)

New Delhi: Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan's best javelin thrower, has broken silence on the controversy involving him and India's gold medalist Neeraj Chopra. He said that the incident that happened during the final of Javelin Throw at Tokyo 2020 is "pretty common during competition(s)". 

Netizens in India had criticised Arshad for holding Neeraj Chopra's javelin just before his first throw at the final event at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. Some even accused him of "stealing" or "tampering with" Neeraj's javelin, after the latter said in an interview that he was looking for his javelin just before at the start of the final when he saw it was with Arshad Nadeem.

The trolling disturbed Neeraj too and he came out in defence of the Pakistani javelin thrower Thursday. 

Now, Arshad Nadeem has also shared his opinion. "It is possible that during practice this was Neeraj's favourite javelin which is why he took it from me. These things are pretty common during competition," he told Geo TV. 

The Indian thrower had posted a video with a caption: "I would request everyone to please not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda. Sports teaches us to be together and united. I'm extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments." 

मेरी आप सभी से विनती है की मेरे comments को अपने गंदे एजेंडा को आगे बढ़ाने का माध्यम न बनाए। Sports हम सबको एकजूट होकर साथ रहना सिखाता हैं और कमेंट करने से पहले खेल के रूल्स जानना जरूरी होता है 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/RLv96FZTd2

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 26, 2021

Let's take a look at what had transpired before this controversy:

Here we can see Neeraj asking for his Javelin to Arshad #NeerajChopra #Tokyo2020 #ArshadNadeem pic.twitter.com/FTqfGyjlrI

— vishal ghandat (@VishalGhandat) August 25, 2021

Neeraj Chopra was quoted by TOI in an interview where had mentioned Nadeem walking with his javelin before the throw. He said, "I was not able to find it. Suddenly I saw Arshad Nadeem was moving around with my javelin. Then I told him, ‘Bhai give this javelin to me, it is my javelin! I have to throw with it."