Neeraj Chopra’s mother answers provocative question about Pak player Arshad Nadeem with grace

Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the men's javelin throw at the World Athletic Championships 2023.

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Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra created history on Sunday after he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletic Championships 2023 held in Budapest, Hungary. Pakistani player Arshad Nadeem secured the second position in the same match, while Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic came third.

Many sports lovers are intrigued at the growing presence of Indian and Pakistani athletes in javelin throw, a field that was earlier dominated by Europeans. However, often the conversation about the sport is reduced to the India-Pakistan rivalry, despite both Chopra and Nadeem expressing mutual respect for each other during multiple media interactions.

Now a video of Neeraj Chopra’s mother, Saroj Devi, deflecting a provocative question about Arshad Nadeem and highlighting the spirit of sportsmanship is winning over the netizens.

A reporter asked #NeerajChopra 's mother about how she feels about Neeraj defeating a Pakistani athlete to win gold.

His mother said : A player is a player, it doesn't matter where he comes from, I am glad that the Pakistani player ( Arshad Nadeem) won as well.

This whole… pic.twitter.com/imk3ZHyLrC

— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) August 28, 2023

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In the video, a reporter asks Saroj Devi for comments about her son beating a Pakistani player at the World Athletic Championships. Instead of alluding to the India-Pakistan rivalry, Saroj Devi says that on a sports field, a player is just a player and added that she is happy that a Pakistani player (Arshad Nadeem) won as well. “Look, everyone has come to play in the field. One or the other will definitely win. So there is no question of being from Pakistan or Haryana. I am happy for player who won from Pakistan as well,” she said.

Commenting on this video, an X user wrote, “The reporter wanted Masala! Aunty Jee distributed sweets. What a gem.” Another person wrote, “Such grace and sportsmanship from #NeerajChopra’s mother. A beautiful reminder that the spirit of sports goes beyond borders and nationalities. The true essence of competition is to celebrate everyone’s achievements. 🥇🤝”.