"It Hurts To See My Integrity Being Questioned", Says Neeraj Chopra

Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra has responded to the controversy over inviting Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem for an event that will take place in Bengaluru in May 2025. India's javelin hero stated that the invitation he extended to Arshad "was from one athlete to another - nothing more, nothing less." Neeraj Chopra and his family were criticised heavily on social media recently for inviting a Pakistani athlete to participate in the Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025.

"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," Neeraj said in a social media post on Friday. He also said that the 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," he said in the post.

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— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) April 25, 2025

"I have carried my country with pride for so many years now, and so 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, with no good reason," Neeraj added. "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," he said.

At the same time, Arshad Nadeem said on Wednesday that he declined Neeraj's invitation to compete in the javelin event in Bengaluru on May 24. Neeraj Chopra stated on Monday that he invited Nadeem to compete in the event, jointly organised by Chopra and JSW Sports in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and World Athletics, reported CNBC. The event showcases leading javelin throwers from India and around the world.