Arshad Nadeem bagged a gold medal at the Javelin Throw event in the Paris Olympics 2024 with a gigantic throw of 92.97 metres, thereby logging an Olympic Record. India’s superstar and golden boy Neeraj Chopra bagged the silver medal with a throw of 89.45 metres.
Neeraj Chopra had a rare poor outing in the event as only 1 out of his 6 throws were valid. That throw which came in his second attempt logged a distance of 89.45 metres and was good enough for him to get a podium finish.
Everyone inside the Stade de France were shocked at this surprising turn of events. The entire world predicted Neeraj Chopra to win the gold medal as he had gotten the better off his Pakistani counterpart on all the 10 occasions that he had faced him.
But fate had something else in store. Arshad Nadeem, who was struggling to get a new javelin in March 2024, has now become World Champion, and that too by a huge margin.
How did Neeraj Chopra support Arshad Nadeem?
The incident dates back to March 2024 when Arshad Nadeem told the media that he had been using the same javelin for the past 7-8 years and that he struggled to get a new one.
“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,” said Arshad Nadeem.
“When I started off in 2015, competing in international events, I got this javelin… for an international athlete aiming to win a medal in the Olympic Games, you need proper equipment and training facilities,” the Pakistani superstar added.
Neeraj expressed his concern and vouched for support for his friend and competitor.
“It is hard to believe that he has been struggling to get a new javelin. Given his credentials, this should not be a big issue at all. Arshad is a top javelin thrower, and I believe that the javelin makers will be more than happy to sponsor him and provide what he needs. This is a piece of advice from my side,” said Neeraj Chopra.
India presently have 5 medals under their belt
The Paris Olympics 2024 campaign of India has been a campaign of “What-Ifs” and “4th-Place Finishes”. From Arjun Babuta to Lakshya Sen, some of the top medal contenders of India have finished in the 4th position.
India presently have 1 silver medal and 4 bronze medals in their kitty. While the silver has come from Neeraj, Manu Bhaker, Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh (team event), Swapnil Kusale and the Indian Men’s Hockey Team have won bronze medals.
Also read: Olympics Javelin Throw Final 2024: When, Where to Watch Neeraj Chopra
