09 August,2024 04:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Neeraj Chopra (Pic: File Pic)
Following her son's silver medal victory in the Paris Olympics 2024, Neeraj Chopra's mother Saroj Devi also expressed her happiness for Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem. The Pakistan's javelin star broke the Olympic record to defeat Indian champion Chopra.
Neeraj Chopra claimed a silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 with a season's best throw of 89.45m, but Arshad showcased a solid effort of 92.97 to win the gold medal for his country.
With the silver win, Chopra became only the third Indian and the first in track and field to win back-to-back individual Olympic medals.
"We are very happy with the silver, the one who got gold is also our child and the one who got silver is also our child....all are athletes, all work hard," Saroj Devi told PTI Videos in Khandra, Panipat, where the family is based.
Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: India's schedule for August 9
"Nadeem is also good, he plays well, there is no difference between Neeraj and Nadeem. We got gold and silver there is no difference for us," she added in the interview given on Thursday night.
Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem are both good friends off the field despite being the rivals.
Chopra's fondness for "desi khana" is well-documented and his family is planning to welcome the two-time Olympic medallist with his favourite dish "Churma."
"He did really well. We will welcome him with churma which is his favourite. I am delighted, people are lighting firecrackers, we are making ladoos," Saroj added.
Chopra's performance is creditable also because of the highly competitive field in which as many as seven athletes went beyond the 86m mark.
"We are very happy. He produced his season's best. All were near 88-89m so competition was very tough. It's not about winning a gold or silver, but about winning a medal, and he did his best," Chopra's aunt Kamlesh said.
Neeraj Chopra is one of the most decorated Indian athletes as he has won gold medals at every tournament such as the Olympics, World Championships, Diamond League, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
"After Tokyo there was no medal left except for silver, that was also needed so he got it," Kamlesh said. She said that the family had an inkling that Chopra was unlikely to win gold after Nadeem's monstrous throw.
"After Nadeem's throw (92.97m) we had a feeling (that he will win gold) but he is also our son, we are happy with him.
"He's also Asia's son. We don't differentiate between Nadeem and Neeraj. Both have got gold and silver and we are very happy," she added.
(With PTI Inputs)
