At the Budapest World Athletics Championships, Chopra became the first Indian to win a gold medal and Nadeem became the first Pakistani to win a medal.
Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships after defeating Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in the men’s javelin final with a throw of 88.17 meters.
Chopra won the gold medal at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, but she could only manage a silver at the world championships in the US the previous year.
Anju Bobby George, who won bronze in the women’s long jump event in 2003 in Paris, was the only Indian to have previously won a medal at the world championships.
Nadeem of Pakistan won the silver medal with an effort of 87.82 meters on his third try after recovering from elbow surgery and a knee injury. Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won bronze at the same time with a distance of 86.67 meters.
This was fantastic. I was really hoping to take home the world title after winning the gold at the Olympics. I merely desired to toss it further. Although this is fantastic for the national team, Chopra said that his dream was to win a gold medal at the world championships.
“In this fantastic competition, it is an honor for me to win another championship for India. I don’t believe I am the strongest thrower around. Tonight, I wanted to throw more.
Nadeem was taking part in his first competition of the year when the javelin landed on his third attempt, moving him up to second.
‘Friends’ who won medals joy together:
On a warm night in Budapest, all eyes were on two athletes competing for the gold in the javelin, despite the fact that India and Pakistan have a contentious rivalry in cricket.
Both nations have been vocal in their support of one another despite the tense relations between them.
Speaking after the competition on Sunday, Nadeem expressed his happiness for Chopra’s victory and the podium finishes for both nations.
Chopra asked Nadeem to join him for a photo after the athletes had received their medals and were celebrating on the track. Then they formed an arm-circle with one another.
A sign of unmatched excellence:
Celebrities and political figures from both South Asian countries congratulated the athletes on social media.
Chopra was referred to as a “symbol of unparalleled excellence in the entire sports world” by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X, the social media website that replaced Twitter.
The Olympic medal-winning wrestler from India, Sakshi Malik, was the first to congratulate Chopra on Twitter and called her “an inspiration for all athletes.”
More valuable than gold:
Social media in Pakistan, a country that is obsessed with cricket, was also ablaze with praise for Nadeem. Many people there praised his achievement despite the lack of resources and facilities there.
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, the nation’s acting prime minister, wrote on X, “What a day!” “You’ve cheered up the nation,” she said.
Wasim Akram, a former captain of Pakistan’s cricket team, stated that Nadeem’s silver medal was “worth more than a gold.”
“Despite not having access to the best resources that other athletes do, you still performed well. It’s great that we are recognizing accomplishments outside of cricket, he wrote on X.
The Pakistani women’s cricket team’s Javeria Khan claimed that Nadeem wrote his “success story” independently and without “strong backing.” “Time to give him [Nadeem] what he deserves,” she remarked.
