Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem scripted history at Paris Olympics on Thursday, August 8, with a record-breaking 92.97 meters throw during the final at the Stade de France. Nadeem’s record breaking throw earned him a gold at the Games, while India’s Neeraj Chopra, the defending champion, won the silver with a throw of 89.45 meters. Even though they compete fiercely on the field, the athletes have a close friendship off the field, and it is evident from the heartfelt messages shared by their mothers. Arshad Nadeem’s mother expressed her deep affection for Neeraj Chopra, saying that he is like a son to her and Neeraj Chopra’s mother, too, considered the Pakistani athlete as her child.
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“If mothers ran the world, there would be no hate, no wars. Arshad Nadeem’s mother: Neeraj Chopra is like a son to me. I prayed for him too. Neeraj Chopra’s mother: We’re happy with silver. The one who won gold (Arshad Nadeem) is also my child,” reads the caption to the video shared on X (formerly Twitter).
When a reporter asks Nadeem’s mother to say a few words about Chopra, who he defeated in the game, she said, “He is also a friend and brother to my son Arshad Nadeem. Winning and losing is a matter of destiny. And he is also my son.” She added that the almighty may bless him (Chopra) with success, and that she prays for him too.
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“We are very happy. For us, silver is also equal to gold. The one who got the gold is also like our son,” Chopra’s mother told ANI after he won silver for India.
Watch the videos here:
"If mothers ran the world, there would be no hate, no wars. #ArshadNadeem’s mother: ‘Neeraj Chopra is like a son to me. I prayed for him too.’ (courtesy indyurdu) #NeerajChopra’s mother: ‘We’re happy with silver. The one who won gold (Arshad Nadeem) is also my child.'”… pic.twitter.com/hCHGGZ6c30— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) August 9, 2024
After the video went viral on social media, former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar shared a post on X. He wrote, “Gold jis ka hai, wo bhi hamara he larka hai – Yeh baat sirf aik maa he keh sakti hai. Amazing.”
