Neeraj Chopra said that the invitation to Arshad Nadeem for participating in NC Classic – javelin event to be organised in Bengaluru next month under the name of India’s Olympic champion – was extended before the events in Kashmir. Neeraj, who said he and his family have been subject to hate and abuse, said Arshad’s participation in the event was ‘completely out of the question’ after the events of the last 48 hours in Pahalgam, a terror attack which left 26 dead and several others injured.
“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 through a statement posted on his social media channels. “They haven’t even left my family out of it. The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less. The aim of the NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events. 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.”