Hard to believe Pakistan’s Nadeem is struggling to get new javelin: Neeraj Chopra

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra was shocked when he learnt that Pakistan’s ace javelin Arshad Nadeem was unable to get a new javelin, given his standing in the world of athletics.

Pakistan’s ace javelin thrower, Nadeem, won gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a huge 90.18m throw. He won the bronze medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, where Chopra finished first.

While Chopra, an Olympic and world champion, and Nadeem are tough opponents on the field, they are also known for their camaraderie off the field. “It’s difficult to imagine he’s been struggling to get a new javelin. Given his credentials, this should not be a major concern at all,” Chopra told SAI Media on Monday.

Rivalries are frequently used as a motivator for athletes to overcome barriers and reach new heights in the world of sports. One such rivalry that has piqued the interest of sports fans throughout the world is between two great javelin throwers, Neeraj Chopra of India and Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan. Their competition is more than just a confrontation of individual abilities; it also represents the traditional India-Pakistan rivalry, albeit on a friendly note.

Nadeem recently stated that he had been struggling to obtain an international-standard javelin for some years and expressed his anger about it.

“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 â€æ for an international athlete aiming to win a medal in the Olympic Games, you need proper equipment and training facilities,” Nadeem added.

Chopra reckons that Arshad Nadeem 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 Neeraj Chopra, who is supported by the government’s Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS).

“Additionally, Arshad (Nadeem) is a top javelin thrower and I believe that the javelin makers will be more than happy to sponsor him and provide what he wants. This is a piece of advice from my side,” said Chopra.

Nadeem had undergone an elbow operation in the UK in December 2022. Last year, he again underwent knee surgery and skipped the Hangzhou Asian Games, where Chopra won the gold.