Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who took home the gold medal in the javelin throw competition at the Commonwealth Games, sent his best wishes to Neeraj Chopra of India, who was unable to compete due to injury, in Birmingham.
Shortly after winning the medal, Nadeem spoke to Geo News and stated: “Due to his ailment, Neeraj Chopra was unable to attend this particular event. I’m hoping for the best for him in his next competitions. I pray for his good health. It would have been even more enjoyable if he had been present.”
The friendship between the two athletes is well known, despite the fact that they are competitors on the field and because of their countries. With their bromance, they have supported and applauded one other on numerous occasions.
Nadeem won the gold medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on Sunday, becoming the first javelin thrower from the subcontinent to reach the 90-meter mark.
Nadeem, a regular opponent of gold medalist Chopra from the Tokyo Olympics, achieved a personal best of 90.18m in his fifth throw.
“I thank Allah, my parents, who prayed for me, as well as the people of Pakistan, who prayed all night long for me. I’m thrilled that God has awarded me a medal, alhamdulillah,” he told Geo News.
According to Nadeem, he did not want to disappoint his supporters who had been rooting for him to finally win a gold. “I came in the hopes of taking home a gold medal for
I had elbow and knee issues, but Alhamdulillah [the doctors] really worked on me, my ailment,” the athlete remarked in reference to how he had still been able to compete.
He also expressed his gratitude to the Punjab Sports and the Pakistan Sports Board for making his participation possible.
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