13

Aug

2024 Olympic Games

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Nadeem-Neeraj Competition : A show of real sportsman Spirit

Prabhjot Singh

A person wearing a red turban Description automatically generated

Paris| Tuesday | 13 August 2024
 

As long as sports rivalries are confined or restricted to competition venues or playfields, they can pave the way for bonhomie between nations locked in conflicts.

The latest rivalry to hit the world of sports is between World Champion Neeraj Chopra and new Olympic champion Nadeem Arshad. They both compete in Javelin throw events in Track and Field.

Nadeem Arshad created a new Olympic record when he hurled the javelin to 92.97 metres. Andreas Thorikildsen of Norway held the previous record of 90.57 m he had set during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, India earned its sixth medal, a bronze in wrestling. Aman beat  Darian Toi Cruz (Portugal) 13-5 in the bronze medal match in the 57 kg category. Aman had lost to Higuchi Rei of Japan in the semi-finals yesterday.

Aman has become the only Indian wrestler to win a medal in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

 

Article at a Glance
 
The latest sports rivalry to grab attention is between India's Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan's Nadeem Arshad, both javelin throwers. Nadeem created a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters, pushing Neeraj to second spot.

This friendly rivalry has sparked excitement, with both athletes coming from humble backgrounds. Despite competing against each other 11 times, they remain good friends outside the competition arena. Neeraj was the first to congratulate Nadeem on his record-breaking throw.

This rivalry is reminiscent of other famous India-Pakistan sports rivalries in cricket, hockey, and kabaddi, which not only enhance performance but also draw large crowds. Neeraj's silver medal has added respectability to India's medal tally, which now stands at one silver and four bronze medals.

 

Earlier, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) started hearing the petition filed by Vinesh Phogat against her disqualification for weighing 100 gm more than the permissible weight in her category. The CAS decision on the appeal is expected before the curtain is rung down on the Games on Sunday.

Vinesh had won all her three bouts while qualifying for the gold medal match before she was disqualified for being  100 gm overweight on the day of the final.

Cricket, hockey, kabaddi, and wrestling rivalries between India and Pakistan are well known. They not only act as catalysts in enhancing the performance of players of the rival nations but also serve as great crowd pullers to venues of competitions of such rivalries.

Neeraj Chopra had become the first Indian athlete – track and field – to win an individual Olympic gold in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Nadeem Arshad who was placed fifth in the Tokyo Olympic Games created a sensation with a record throw of 92.97 metres to become the new Olympic champion pushing his friend-cum-rival Neeraj Chopra to second spot. Neeraj could clear 89.45 m.

Incidentally, Nadeem Arshad has become the first  Pakistani athlete to win an Olympic gold for his country in the Track and Field events. Only two individual Olympic medals have been won by Pakistan since it got its independence in 1947.

In the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pakistan won a bronze in wrestling and 28 years later, it got its second individual medal in boxing in Seoul (1988). Now Nadeem has given the country its first-ever individual medal in Olympic sports. Pakistan has been the winner of Olympic hockey gold a couple of times. It first won the hockey crown in the Rome Olympics in 1960.

Thursday’s contest between Neeraj Chopra and Nadeem Arshad had assumed tremendous interest as both come from low middle-class families. Neeraj Chopra, now serving the Indian Army, hails from Haryana while Nadeem Arshad comes from Khanwala in Pakistan.

Khanwala is a small city with a population of over 1.15 lakh. It has three international colleges and a business school. Nadeem had been visiting nearby villages and towns to raise funds for his training. Some months ago, when he left a message on social media seeking help to buy a new javelin, Neeraj Chopra was among the first few to respond.

Though Neeraj and Nadeem have competed against each other 11 times, they remain good friends outside the competition arena. Neeraj was the first to congratulate Nadeem when he created a new Olympic record on Thursday.

Of six throws, Nadeem, like Neeraj, had his first throw declared null. He, however, twice sent the javelin past the 90-metre mark, his second turned out to be the ultimate winner as it cleared 92.97 metres. His sixth and last was 91.79 metres.

The second throw by Neeraj was not only his best but also the only legitimate hurl. He cleared 89.45 m, his season’s best that got him the silver. It was a rare achievement by any Indian athlete to win a gold and a silver in back-to-back Olympic Games.

Though India missed a gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Neeraj Chopra’s second successive Olympic medal accorded some respectability to the Indian medal tally that stood at one silver and four bronze medals. Earlier, India won its second – back-to-back – bronze medal in Olympic hockey for men.

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