'Hurt And Angry' - Neeraj Chopra Issues Strong Statement After Receiving Abuse For Arshad Nadeem Invite

Facing unwarranted criticism and online abuse, Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra has firmly addressed those who targeted him and his family for extending an invitation to Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem for the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025.

The event is scheduled for May 24th at Bengaluru's Kanteerava Stadium. During a press briefing on Monday, Chopra announced his invitation to Nadeem, the Paris 2024 Olympics gold medalist, for his one-day javelin competition, the NC Classic.

The situation took a tragic turn on Tuesday (April 22) when a devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists and left many others injured. Following this horrific incident, Chopra expressed his condolences and prayers for the victims and their families on social media platform X.

However, the comments section of his post was flooded with negative reactions from individuals who heavily criticized him for inviting the Pakistani javelin thrower to India. After enduring days of this backlash, the 27-year-old Olympic champion broke his silence, asserting that his invitation to Nadeem was purely "from one athlete to another," emphasizing that there was "nothing more" to it.

In a statement shared on X, Chopra expressed his dismay: "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.

"There has been so much talk about my decision to invite Arshad Nadeem to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, and most of it has been hate and abuse. They haven't even left my family out of it. The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another - nothing more, nothing less."

Chopra clarified the timeline of events, stating that the invitations were sent out on Monday, a day before the tragic terrorist attack. He explained, "The aim of the NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events. Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday, two days before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam."

Acknowledging the changed circumstances, Chopra stated, "After all that has taken place over the last 48 hours, Arshad's presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question. My country and its interests will always come first.

"To those that are going through the loss of their people, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Along with the entire nation, I am both hurt and angry at what has taken place."

Turning his attention to the personal attacks, Chopra conveyed his hurt at the "false narratives" and questioning of his "integrity." He expressed his disappointment that he and his family were being targeted "for no good reason."

"I am confident that our country's response will show our strength as a nation and justice will be served. I have carried my country with pride for so many years now, and so it hurts to see my integrity being questioned.

"It pains me that I have to explain myself to people who are targeting me and my family, with no good reason. We are simple people, please don't make us out to be anything else. 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," he wrote.

Chopra also highlighted the unfair criticism directed at his mother, Saroj Devi. Following Nadeem's victory over Chopra at the Paris Olympics last year, Devi had described the Pakistani athlete as being like a "son" to her, a remark that was widely praised at the time. Chopra pointed out the hypocrisy of those now targeting his mother for the same "innocent" statement.

In his concluding remarks, Chopra stated, "I also find it difficult to understand how people switch opinions. When my mother - in her simplicity - had made an innocent comment a year ago, there was an outpouring of praise for her views.

"Today, the same people haven't held back from targeting her for that very same statement. I, meanwhile, will work even harder to ensure that the world remembers India and looks at it with envy and respect for all the right reasons. Jai Hind."