Following the recent terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra has responded to the growing controversy over his inviting Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem for a Bengaluru event. In a heartfelt statement, Chopra addressed the concerns surrounding the situation and the grief.
Chopra strongly condemned the attack and expressed his sorrow over the loss of lives, saying, “Heartbroken by the tragic attack in Jammu & Kashmir. Prayers for the victims and their families.” After hateful messages he wrote, “It pains me that I have to explain myself to people who are targeting me and my family, with no good reason.”
“I usually am a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean I will not speak up against what I think is wrong. More so when it comes to questioning my love for our country, and the respect and honour of my family,” he further added.
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) April 25, 2025
Neeraj Chopra responded to hate he and his family have been receiving, also stating that a false narrative has been created around him by a certain section of media, which he strongly condemns. “There are so many false narratives that certain sections of the media have created around me, but just because I do not speak up, it doesn’t make it true.”
The Neeraj Chopra Classic on Thursday officially announced the names of seven international athletes set to compete in the event, with Arshad Nadeem not among them. The list includes two-time world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada, Kenya’s Julius Yego, Japan’s Genki Dean, Curtis Thompson from the USA, Brazil’s Luiz Mauricio Da Silva, Germany’s Thomas Rohler, and Sri Lanka’s rising javelin talent Rumesh Pathirage. We have not yet revealed the Indian participant list.
Meanwhile, Arshad Nadeem confirmed that he will be in South Korea for the Asian Athletics Championships and is expected to depart on May 22, making him unavailable for the Bengaluru event.