‘Don’t use me to further dirty agenda’: A lesson on sporting spirit
NEW DELHI: Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra strongly rejected a controversy that had been created around his remarks about Pakistani thrower Arshad Nadeem using his javelin during the finals of the Games, calling it “propaganda aimed at pushing a dirty agenda” that was being furthered by people who did not understand the sporting sprit.
In multiple posts on Twitter — in English and Hindi, and in a video — Chopra pointed to the rules of international competitions where athletes are allowed to use any javelin from a common pool and 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 we all javelin throwers share very good relations and please do not say something that we feel bad about. I am extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public.”
In a recent interview, the 23-year-old said that he was searching for his javelin before his first throw during the Olympic final and found Nadeem holding it.
“‘Bhai give this javelin to me, I have to throw it.’ That’s why you must have seen I took my first throw hurriedly,” Chopra was quoted as saying.
Soon after, a controversy erupted, insinuating that Nadeem was trying to “sabotage” Chopra’s throw and the Pakistani thrower was the subject of online abuse.
“There’s nothing wrong that he was preparing with that javelin... and that I asked for it. I am very sad that my words are being used to make this into a big issue,” Chopra said.