‘My taking javelin from Arshad is a non-issue’

KARACHI: India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has asked his country's media organisations not to make an issue of his taking his javelin from Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem when he was preparing for his first throw during the finals of the Tokyo Olympics.

“In a recent interview I had said that before my first throw in the finals I took my javelin back from Pakistani thrower Arshad Nadeem. It has been made a big issue,” Neeraj said in a video message.

“It’s a simple thing that we also put our personal javelin in that and as per rules all throwers can use that. There was nothing wrong in it,” said Neeraj, who won gold in Tokyo.

A video has gone viral in which Neeraj is looking for his javelin before his throw and when he saw it in Arshad’s hands he went towards him and took it from him for his throw.