New Delhi: A day after his remark on Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem led to outrage on social media, Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra Thursday urged people to “not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda”
In a video posted on Twitter, Chopra said: 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
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.
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 26, 2021
A blurb from Chopra’s interview with The Times of India had gone viral Wednesday. In the interview, Chopra said he attempted his first throw hurriedly because Pakistani player Arshad Nadeem was “moving around” with the javelin.
“I was searching for my javelin at the start of the final. 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’. Then he gave it back to me.”
This statement was enough for a section of people on social media to direct hate at Nadeem and allege that he tried to “tamper” with Chopra’s javelin. A video of Chopra taking the javelin from Nadeem was also widely shared.
Here we can see Neeraj asking for his Javelin to Arshad #NeerajChopra #Tokyo2020 #ArshadNadeem pic.twitter.com/FTqfGyjlrI
— vishal ghandat (@VishalGhandat) August 25, 2021
Hopefully, when Bollywood will make biopic on Neeraj Chopra, they will show this detail too. pic.twitter.com/s2pD0LPH4V
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) August 25, 2021
Arshad Nadeem must have done this deliberately. Coz there's a timelimit to throw the javelin.
— Shunya ⚔️ (@MarkivTima) August 25, 2021
Neeraj Chopra on Arshad nadeem, no wonder our liberals wanted nadeem to win because they always side with the corrupt ones! pic.twitter.com/swWJREdb4Q
— अंकित जैन (@indiantweeter) August 25, 2021
This video will go down in history as evidence of Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem stealing the javelin of Neeraj Chopra at #Tokyo2020.
Neeraj's first throw could have been better if this shameful incident didn't happen.
Arshad is lucky that @WeAreTeamIndia didn't lodge a complaint. pic.twitter.com/VyQ1ncERyw
— Soumyadipta (@Soumyadipta) August 25, 2021
Indian Sikulars were making that Pakistani javelin thrower hero saying he gave his own javelin to Neeraj Chopra but the truth is that Pakistani was taking Neeraj’s javelin away & Neeraj caught him red handed.
This is how libtards made Mughals hero..??
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) August 26, 2021
Putting an end to such allegations, Chopra said it’s perfectly normal and legal for players to carry another player’s javelin.
“People have made a big issue out of my comments in an interview where I said Pakistani player Arshad Nadeem took my javelin. We keep our personal javelins at one place but all players are allowed to use any javelin they like. It’s the rule. He was preparing for his throw… and I asked for the javelin when my turn came. This isn’t such a big deal. I am disappointed that the issue has been blown out of proportion in my name,” he said.
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.
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 26, 2021
Also read: Red FM RJs dance to ‘uden jab jab zulfein teri’ to greet Neeraj Chopra, trolled as ‘sexist’