Pakistan’s Javelin Star Arshad Nadeem’s Instagram Blocked In India After Pahalgam Attack Sparks Tensions

Pakistani Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem's Instagram account has been blocked in India. The move comes in the aftermath of the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed the lives of 26 people. The blocking of Nadeem’s account appears to be a fallout from growing cross-border sensitivities, especially since the javelin star had recently been in the news for turning down an invitation from Indian Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra.

Nadeem had recently made headlines after been invited by Neeraj Chopra to take part in the Neeraj Chopra Classic (NC Classic) scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on May 24. However, the Olympic Gold medalist decided to opt out of the event due to prior commitments with the upcoming Asian Athletics Championships.

The Pakistani athlete created history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by defeating Chopra and securing the gold medal in men’s javelin with a record-breaking throw of 92.97 meters the longest ever at the Olympic Games and the sixth-longest in javelin history.

Neeraj Chopra responds to backlash over sending invite to Arshad Nadeem

Chopra faced backlash from sections of the public and media in India for extending the invitation to Arshad Nadeem in the first place especially in light of the Pahalgam incident.

In response, Neeraj Chopra issued a firm and emotional statement on social media, defending his actions and condemning the personal attacks directed at him and his family.

“I usually am a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean I will not speak up against what I think is wrong. More so when it comes to questioning my love for our country and the respect and honour of my family," Neeraj tweeted last week.

“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,".

Neeraj explained, “The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another, nothing more, nothing less. The NC Classic aimed to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events,"

Clarifying the timeline, Chopra stated that the invitations were sent before the attack took place. “The invites were sent out on Monday, two days before the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, tourists, were killed.Arshad’s participation was out of the question given all that had happened over the last two days.”

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