Also my son: Neeraj Chopra's mother on Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem

New Delhi: In a heartwarming display of sportsmanship and kindness, Saroj Devi, the mother of Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra, won the admiration of fans on both sides of the border with her gracious comments about Arshad Nadeem, the Pakistani athlete who outperformed her son to win the gold medal in the Olympic men's javelin final. Despite her son's silver medal finish, Saroj Devi showed remarkable generosity of spirit by extending warm praise and congratulations to Arshad Nadeem, transcending national rivalry and capturing the essence of the Olympic spirit.

"I am happy with the silver and the guy who got gold, Arshad Nadeem is also my child, everyone goes there after doing a lot of hard work,” she said. 

#WATCH | Haryana: On Neeraj Chopra winning a silver medal in men's javelin throw at #ParisOlympics2024, his mother Saroj Devi says, "We are very happy, for us silver is also equal to gold...he was injured, so we are happy with his performance..." pic.twitter.com/6VxfMZD0rF

— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2024

Video surfaces on social media 

After Saroj Devi remarkable comment, video went viral on social media as users are reshareing the video and praising her. A user of X platform named Saif wrote, Neeraj and Arshad share an incredible bond. This is how a rivalry should be - healthy and competitive devoid of any jingoist toxicity.

Neeraj Chopra’s mother: “We’re very happy with the silver. The one who won the gold is also our boy”

Neeraj and Arshad share an incredible bond. This is how a rivalry should be - healthy and competitive devoid of any jingoist toxicity. pic.twitter.com/syFmrJgLjh

— Saif (@isaifpatel) August 8, 2024

Another username of X platform named Tanuj Singh shared the post and wrote that this is just beautiful. 

Neeraj Chopra's mother said - "I am happy with the Silver Medal. The guy who won the Gold Medal (Arshad Nadeem) is also my child, everyone goes there after doing a lot of hard work". (ANI).

- This is Just Beautiful. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7Q0afDAsGv

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) August 9, 2024

Historic moment for Pakistan 

Overcome with emotion, 27-year-old Arshad Nadeem jubilantly raised his arms in victory after shattering the Olympic record with his remarkable throw. His path to success has been a testament to his unwavering resolve and determination, as he faced the challenges of pursuing a non-cricket sport in Pakistan, where athletes often face limited access to resources and facilities, making his achievement all the more remarkable.