Neeraj and I are happy to do well in a sport usually dominated by Europeans, says Pakistan’s Nadeem

In cricket-crazy Pakistan, Nadeem has become the toast of the nation after becoming its first athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championship

In Arshad Nadeem, India’s Neeraj Chopra will have tough competition for the gold medal at Paris Olympics, but the Pakistani ace says for now both are “very happy” to call the shots in a sport once dominated by the Europeans.

In cricket-crazy Pakistan, Nadeem has become the toast of the nation after becoming its first athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championship.

Nadeem bagged silver in the javelin thrown final in Budapest on Sunday, as Olympic champion Chopra won the gold medal.

“Neeraj and I have a very healthy competition and we respect each other a lot. There is no Pakistan-India rivalry in a bad way. When we talk, we are just happy that both of us have come to the fore in a competition usually dominated by Europeans,” Nadeem told PTI.

After the final on Sunday, Chopra made it a point to invite his Pakistani rival to go on a victory lap. “It’s a very satisfying achievement for me to get a distance of 87.82 metres as I returned to international competition after nearly a year due to my elbow surgery,” said Nadeem.

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