Don't question my love for country: Neeraj Chopra slams trolls
What's the story
Indian Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has finally spoken on the recent controversy over the invitation sent to Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem.
The invite for the Neeraj Chopra Classic event was sent before the horrific terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 people.
On Friday, Chopra said in a statement that Nadeem's participation was now "completely out of the question."
The athlete also addressed the immense hate he had to endure in the last few days.
Online backlash
Neeraj Chopra expressed pain over online abuse
"I'm usually a man of few words, but that doesn't mean I will stay silent when I see something wrong—especially when my love for the country and the honour of my family are being questioned."
The Tokyo Olympics gold medalist expressed anguish over the barrage of hate and abuse directed at him and his family since the invitation to Nadeem went public.
He called this period "incredibly painful" and urged people to understand the context behind his action.
Clarification
'Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday'
Responding to the online hate, Chopra clarified that all he wanted to do was to bring the best athletes to India, and that included Nadeem.
"The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another-nothing more, nothing less," he wrote.
"Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday, two days before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam."
Future plans
Neeraj Chopra's commitment to India
"I have carried my country with pride for so many years now, and it hurts to see my integrity being questioned," Neeraj Chopra said.
He was disappointed over the false narratives created by certain sections of the media about him and his family.
"I will continue to work harder so that the world remembers India, and looks at us with respect and admiration for all the right reasons," he concluded.
Scheduling conflict
Nadeem had already declined Chopra's invitation
While announcing the tentative list on Monday at a press conference, Chopra had said a final list will be out after confirmation from the athletes.
Later, the reigning Olympic champion decided to skip the NC Classic javelin event, set to take place on May 24 in Bengaluru.
He said his training for the upcoming Asian Athletics Championships clashed with the schedule.
The final list of international participants released by the organizers also did not feature his name.