Arshad Nadeem was invited, Indians did not even spare Neeraj Chopra’s mother!

Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has hit back at critics who targeted him for inviting Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem to the Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin event in Bengaluru, set for May 24.

Chopra personally invited Nadeem to compete, but the Pakistani athlete declined due to scheduling conflicts with the upcoming Asian Athletics Championships.

In a heartfelt social media post, Chopra expressed his disappointment over the hate and abuse he received from extremists in India. He said, “It hurts to see my integrity being questioned. It pains me that I have to explain myself to people who are targeting me and my family without any valid reason.”

He clarified that the invites were sent to all athletes on Monday, two days before the Pahalgam attack.

Chopra stressed that his invitation to Nadeem was a simple gesture between athletes, aiming to bring the best talent to India for world-class sporting events. “It was just an invitation from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less,” he explained.

The Indian athlete also expressed frustration over the double standards, highlighting how his mother was praised last year for making a similar comment but is now being targeted for the same views. “It’s difficult to understand how opinions change so quickly. My mother’s simple, innocent comment was praised last year, but today, the same people are attacking her for it,” Chopra added.