The ongoing rivalry between India and Pakistan took a heartwarming turn during the Olympic javelin throw competition, as both nations celebrated the achievements of their respective champions, Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem, who are seen as part of one family by their mothers.
On Thursday, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan clinched the gold medal with a remarkable throw of 92.97 meters, setting a new Olympic record. Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra from India secured the silver medal with his best throw of 89.45 meters, which came in as the second-best of his career.
While Chopra expressed disappointment with his performance, his mother, Saroj Devi, was thrilled with both athletes’ accomplishments and referred to them both as her children. “We are very happy with the silver, but the one who got gold is also our child, and the one who got silver is also our child,” she stated. “All are athletes, all work hard. Nadeem is also good; there is no difference between Neeraj and Nadeem. For us, gold and silver mean no difference.”
The feeling was reciprocated by Raziah Parveen, the mother of Arshad Nadeem, who expressed her best wishes for Neeraj Chopra. “They are not only friends but brothers, and I also pray for Neeraj that he gets more success,” she remarked. “Neeraj is also like our son, and I hope he wins more medals. Winning and losing are parts of sport, but they are brothers.”
Although fierce competitors on the track, Chopra and Nadeem have fostered a friendship off it. During last year’s World Championships in Budapest, where Chopra won gold, Nadeem had expressed his aspiration for both to achieve podium finishes at the Olympics, a dream that materialized this week.
With Nadeem becoming Pakistan’s first individual Olympic champion and Chopra achieving the status of India’s most decorated individual Olympian with a gold and a silver, their rivalry has grown from a competitive spirit into a bond celebrated by their families. The pair first crossed paths in the 2016 South Asian Games and both made their Olympic debuts at Tokyo 2020, where Chopra won gold and Nadeem finished fifth.