'Don't use my comments for your propaganda': Neeraj Chopra clarifies over remarks on Pak's Arshad Nadeem

New Delhi, Aug 26: Neeraj Chopra, Olympic gold medallist said he was "disappointed" to see people pushing their "vested interests and propaganda". This came after comments by Chopra and a viral video that showed the Indian athlete on the lookout for his javelin moments before the finals of the javelin event in August surfaced on social media.

 

 

Chopra via news agency said, "I was searching for my javelin at the start of the final (in Olympics). I was not able to find it. Suddenly, I saw Arshad Nadeem was moving around with my javelin. Then I told him, 'Bhai give this javelin to me, it is my javelin! I have to throw with it'. He gave it back to me. That's why you must have seen I took my first throw hurriedly".

 

 

Soon after these comments, netizens found out the video which went viral. The incident did not go down well with the social media users. Though the turn of events leading into the throw did not affected Neeraj's chances of winning the gold, many fans questioned the motive behind Nadeem picking "someone" else's javelin.

 

 

Responding to these reactions, Neeraj on Thursday requested everyone to not use him or any of his comments as a medium to further their vested interests. "I would request everyone to please not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda. Sports teaches us to be together and united. I'm extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments," Neeraj said in a video he posted on Twitter.

 

 

Further clarifying the rules of the javelin competition, Neeraj elucidated, "I thank everyone for the love and support. Recently in one of my interviews, I said that I took my javelin from Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem before my first attempt. A big issue has been created out of this, I would like to clarify all throwers as per rule are allowed to use the javelin."

 

"So there is nothing wrong in what Arshad did by taking my javelin to prepare and I asked him for the javelin for my throw, this is not a big issue. I urge everyone to further not create any issue on this. We all javelin throwers compete in a sporting manner," he added.