EXCLUSIVE: 'Upar waale ka haath Arshad pe tha' - Neeraj Chopra after settling for silver in Paris (WATCH)
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Aug 9, 2024, 8:36 AM ISTAfter winning the silver medal at the Paris Olympics, Neeraj Chopra told Asianet News that he was proud to represent his country. He acknowledged that the gold going to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem was God's will and congratulated Nadeem for his exceptional performance.
After winning the silver medal at the Paris Olympics, Neeraj Chopra shared his first reaction with Asianet News. He expressed pride in earning the medal for his country and acknowledged that it was God's will for the gold to go to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem. Chopra congratulated Nadeem for his outstanding performance and mentioned that he still has more to accomplish for his country. He was speaking to Asianet News Sports Editor Joby George, who is covering the Olympics in Paris.
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The men's javelin throw event at the Paris Olympics 2024 concluded with a thrilling finish on Thursday, as Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem set a new record with a throw of 92.97 meters, securing the gold medal. Defending champion Neeraj Chopra made history by becoming the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win consecutive Olympic medals, earning a silver in the men’s javelin throw.
"This was a tough competition, yet managed to win the medal for the country. Maybe the national anthem of our country could not be played, however, I am happy that I could win silver for the country. It's a proud moment to represent the country and win a medal," said Chopra.
"When Arshad threw 92.97 meters, I thought I could also cross 90 meters. But due to fouls, I couldn't achieve it. God's hand was on Arshad Nadeem. I still believe I have more opportunities. My best performance is yet to come. However, I don't think I've become the greatest Indian athlete yet. I will continue to work harder until my mind and body go hand in hand " said Chopra in his first response to the news media after winning an Olympic medal.
Nadeem’s remarkable 92.97m throw on his second attempt set an unbeatable benchmark for the competition. Under significant pressure, Chopra could only produce one valid throw—an 89.45m effort in the second round, which earned him silver. While this was his best performance of the season, surpassing his qualification throw of 89.34m, it was not enough to match Nadeem’s gold-winning distance. Nadeem further solidified his victory with a final throw of 91.79 meters.
Chopra’s achievement also makes him only the third Indian athlete, and the first in track and field, to win back-to-back individual Olympic medals. Wrestler Sushil Kumar (2008 and 2012) and shuttler PV Sindhu (2016 and 2021) are the others who have accomplished this. The result was bittersweet for the billion-strong Indian audience, who had hoped for Chopra to repeat his historic gold medal performance.
With Chopra’s silver, India’s tally at the Paris Olympics 2024 now stands at five. This includes the Indian men’s hockey team’s historic bronze medal earlier in the day, and Shooter Manu Bhaker’s two bronze medals—one in the women’s 10m air pistol and another in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh.
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