Neeraj Chopra is not one to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Taking a cue from the reactions that followed after his remark involving Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist has requested everyone to not cash in on his state to further their "vested interests and propaganda".
Taking to Twitter, the javelin champion said, "I would request everyone to please not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda. Sports teaches us to be together and united. I'm extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments." He also posted a video in a bid to appeal everyone.
On Wednesday, looking back at the historic final where he won India's first ever athletics gold at the Olympics, Neeraj said he had to take his javelin back from Nadeem before registering his first throw. "I was searching for my javelin at the start of the final. I was not able to find it. Suddenly, I saw Arshad Nadeem was moving around with my javelin. Then I told him, 'Bhai give this javelin to me, it is my javelin! I have to throw with it'. He gave it back to me. That's why you must have seen I took my first throw hurriedly," Chopra was quoted as saying by Times of India.
With a throw of 87.58 metres, Neeraj shared the podium with Czech duo of Jakub Vadlejch and Vítězslav Veselý, while his Pakistani counterpart had finished fifth in the event.