Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra shared a note on his official Instagram account on Friday to address the backlash over his invitation to Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem for the Neeraj Chopra Classic to be held in Bengaluru on May 24.

"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. They haven't even left my family out of it," wrote Chopra.

Defending his intent, Chopra emphasised, "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."

The athlete has been at the receiving end of severe online hate following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday, which claimed the lives of 26 Indian civilians.

Clarifying the timeline, Chopra stated, "Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday, two days before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam."

He further added, "After all that has taken place over the last 48 hours, Arshad's presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question. My country and its interests will always come first."

Expressing solidarity with the victims, he said, "To those that are going through the loss of their people, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Along with the entire nation, I am both hurt and angry at what has taken place."

Chopra continued, "I have carried my country with pride for so many years now, and so it hurts to see my integrity being questioned. It pains me that I have to explain myself to people who are targeting me and my family, with no good reason."

Addressing the hate directed at his family, he concluded, "I also find it difficult to understand how people switch opinions. When my mother in her simplicity - had made an innocent comment a year ago, there was an outpouring of praise for her views. Today, the same people haven't held back from targeting her for that very same statement."

Arshad Nadeem declined the invite, citing commitments

Chopra had invited Nadeem, who had beaten the Indian at the Paris Olympic last year to win gold, for the inaugural edition of the NC Classic.

Nadeem had cited a packed schedule as the reason for turning down the invite, sources said.

According to PTI reports, he is expected to feature in the Asian Athletics Championship to be held in Gumi, South Korea, from May 27-31. That is being billed as his comeback event.

It’s not confirmed whether the Pahalgam attack had a bearing on Nadeem’s decision to decline Neeraj’s invitation.

A bond of bonhomie and battle

Neeraj and Arshad share a very cordial relationship, and their duels have taken on a cult status among athletics fans worldwide.

After Neeraj’s Tokyo Olympic Games gold in 2021 — Nadeem had finished fifth — the poster boy of Indian athletics was miles ahead of his Pakistani counterpart.

In the 2023 World Championship in Budapest, Neeraj and Nadeem finished first and second, respectively. In the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Neeraj bagged the gold and Nadeem came third.

However, in Paris, Nadeem, with a humongous throw of 92.97 metres, got the gold medal. Neeraj (89.45 metres) won the silver medal.

Another duel is brewing. That will be in Tokyo at the World Athletics Championship in September.

With inputs from agencies