Star Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra was surprised when he learned that his rival Arshad Nadeem has been struggling to acquire an international standard javelin for many years and using one for the past seven to eight years. Olympic and world champion Chopra and Pakistan’s ace javelin exponent Nadeem are fierce competitors on the field.
"It is hard to believe that he has been struggling to get a new javelin. Given his credentials, this should not be a big issue at all," Chopra told SAI Media on March 18.
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Nadeem recently expressed his frustration and said that he has requested the national federation and coach to do something to get a new javelin ahead of the Olympics that starts on July 26.
"It has now got to a stage where the javelin is damaged and I have asked the national federation and my coach to do something about it before the Paris Olympics," Nadeem had said recently.
"When I started off in 2015, competing in international events I got this javelin … for an international athlete aiming to win a medal in the Olympic Games, you need proper equipment and training facilities," Nadeem added.
Nadeem had created a new javelin throw record at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. He clinched gold with a massive 90.18m throw and ended Pakistan’s 60-year wait for a CWC gold medal. In the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, Nadeem bagged a bronze medal and Chopra clinched the top spot.
Chopra emphasised that he should get all the support from the Pakistan government.
"It can't be that he (Nadeem) doesn't have the means to buy a javelin. He is a champion and must be doing some brand endorsements. I reckon he has earned a bit of money too.
"But having said that, his government can look at Arshad's (Nadeem) need and support him just like how my government is doing so," said Chopra.
Nadeem had a serious elbow operation in December 2022. He again underwent a niggling knee operation last year and missed the Hangzhou Asian Games where Chopra secured the gold.
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