Doha, Qatar – India’s Olympic gold medal-winning athlete Neeraj Chopra believes the recent escalations between his country and neighbouring Pakistan will affect the hugely popular friendship he shared with his cross-border counterpart Arshad Nadeem.
Both men’s javelin athletes have earned widespread praise for overlooking the decades-old South Asian rivalry with their friendly interactions at international tournaments, but Chopra said on Thursday that his relationship with Nadeem is unlikely to remain the same.
India and Pakistan were involved in a brief but intense military confrontation last week that threatened to erupt into the fifth full-scale war between the two countries.
“It will not be like it was before [the recent escalations],” Chopra told Al Jazeera when asked about the repercussions of the tensions on his friendship with Nadeem.
“I never had a very deep friendship with him, but we were always respectful towards each other,” he added while speaking before the Doha Diamond League, a World Athletics meet scheduled for Friday in Qatar.
The frequent words of encouragement and appreciation exchanged between Chopra, who won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2021, and Nadeem, who bagged gold at Paris 2024, rendered both the darlings of social media and the face of a rare cross-border friendship.
Happy Birthday to my friend and fellow athlete @Neeraj_chopra1 Wishing you a year filled with happiness, success, better health and joy. May you have a wonderful life ahead!
However, following the April 22 attack that left 26 civilians dead in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir, Chopra faced intense social media backlash for inviting Nadeem to the May 24 Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin event in India.
The invitation was extended before the attack and was declined by Nadeem, citing his preparations for the May 27-31 Asian Athletics Championship in South Korea.
Chopra’s eponymous event was eventually postponed in the wake of the cross-border conflict, but not before the 27-year-old Indian athlete released a statement on April 25, saying Nadeem’s participation at the meet was “completely out of the question” following the Pahalgam attack.
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On May 7, India launched multiple missile attacks on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and the Pakistani military claimed to have shot down multiple Indian air force planes.
Three days later, Pakistan retaliated with a missile attack on Indian airbases. Both countries were on the precipice of war before a United States-brokered ceasefire was agreed.
Amid the war-like scenario, both Chopra and Nadeem took to social media to pledge their support for their respective armed forces.
It was in stark contrast to the warmth shared by the world’s top javelin throwers, who often posed together for photographs at athletics events and shared greetings on social media.
Chopra and Nadeem were gold and silver medallists at the World Athletics Championships in 2023 and celebrated together as the Indian asked his Pakistani opponent to join him for a photo and stood close with their arms around each other.
When Nadeem became the first Pakistani track and field athlete to win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Chopra’s mother won hearts across the border when she said Nadeem was also like a “son” to her.
It is unclear when the athletes will compete against each other, as Nadeem is not participating at the Doha Diamond League and Chopra is set to skip the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea.
Despite the fallout of the recent political and military standoff, Chopra said he will continue to maintain a respectful demeanour towards Nadeem.
“I have a lot of friends in the athletics circuit since javelin throwers are a very small community,” Chopra said.
“I will always reciprocate the respect I receive from my fellow athletes.”
