Neeraj Chopra ends silence on inviting Arshad Nadeem to India amid Pahalgam terror attack: 'Hurts to see my integrity…'

The Neeraj Chopra Classic Javelin Throw event is set to be held on May 24 in Bengaluru, and athletics fans in India will get to see some top stars in action. But reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem rejected the invitation due to other commitments. Speaking to the media in Pakistan, Nadeem recently revealed that he would not be able to participate in Neeraj Chopra’s event due to training commitment for the Asian Athletics Championship. The competition will take place from May 27-31 and Nadeem said that he was scheduled to leave for South Korea on May 22.

Arshad’s decision also came after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack’s responsibility has been claimed by The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to reports.

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Neeraj’s decision to extend an invitation also stirred controversy, and the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist took to social media to clarify the issue. The invitation was sent before the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and he revealed that he has been on the receiving end of abuse, and it has been directed at his family too.

He wrote, “I usually am a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean I will not speak up against what I think is wrong. More so when it comes to questioning my love for our country, and the respect and honour of my family.”

“There has been so much talk about my decision to invite Arshad Nadeem to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, and most of it has been hate and abuse. They haven’t even left my family out of it. The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less. The aim of the NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events. Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday, two days before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam.

“After all that has taken place over the last 48 hours, Arshad’s presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question. My country and its interests will always come first. To those that are going through the loss of their people, my thoughts and prayers are with you.”

Here is the full post:

Neeraj’s upcoming exclusive event will see two-time world champion Anderson Peters in action, and he will also be joined by the likes of Julius Yego and Thomas Rohler.

The NC Classic is co-organised by Chopra, JSW Sports, AFI and WA. It will be held at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, and was originally slated to be held in Panchkula, but was later moved due to floodlight issues