'We were never really close friends': Neeraj Chopra breaks silence over Arshad Nadeem friendship
India’s star athlete Neeraj Chopra has broken his silence over his relationship with Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in the wake of the Indo-Pak war between the nations. India News | Sports
India’s star athlete Neeraj Chopra has broken his silence over his relationship with Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in the wake of the Indo-Pak war between the nations. Answering a question on Thursday (May 15) ahead of the Doha Diamond League, Neeraj opened up on his relationship with Arshad, who is the defending Olympic champion. Both Neeraj and Arshad have shared the same podium on multiple occasions and will be on the same field at the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
Neeraj breaks silence over friendship with Arshad
"First, we were never really close friends or something. And things won't be the same after this (referring to the recent Indo-Pak tensions) but if someone talks to me respectfully I reciprocate the respect," Neeraj said on his relationship with Arshad.
While there has been a good relationship between Neeraj and Arshad, things are expected to be bittersweet between them ahead of the meeting at the Doha Diamond League. Neeraj was the Olympic champion when he won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The reign came to an end in the Paris Olympics when Arshad threw 92.97 metres to win the gold medal. On the other hand, Neeraj won a silver medal with a throw of 89.45 metres in Paris.
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With Neeraj being the star attraction, all the eyes will be on him in Doha on Friday. However, he won’t be the only Indian in action at the 2025 Doha Diamond League as Kishore Jena will also compete in the Javelin Throw. The other two Indians in the fray are national record holder Gulveer Singh, who is making his Diamond League debut, in men’s 5000m and Parul Chaudhary in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
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The meeting between Neeraj and Arshad will be the first time India and Pakistan will be head-to-head on a sports circuit after the recent near-war situation. At least 26 Indians (most tourists) were killed on April 22 in the Pahalgam terror attacks. In response, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor to counter Pakistan.
