Arshad Nadeem: Rivalry with Neeraj Chopra is inspiring youngsters in India, Pakistan

Paris, Aug 9 (PTI) History-making Pakistan javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem is quite pleased that his rivalry with Indian superstar Neeraj Chopra is becoming as talked about as the cricketing battles between the two feuding neighbours as he believes it will fuel the sporting ambition of youngsters in both the nations.

Nadeem bested Chopra for the first time in their 11 face-offs to claim the Olympic gold medal with a sensational Games record of 92.97m on Thursday night. Chopra took the silver with a season's best effort of 89.45m, adding another chapter to their storied rivalry.

"The rivalry is there when it comes to cricket matches and other sports, definitely. But at the same time, it is a good thing for youngsters in both countries who are pursuing a sport to follow us and follow their sports icons and bring laurels to their countries," the 27-year-old Nadeem told reporters after becoming the first Pakistani to clinch an individual Olympic gold medal.

He is also Pakistan's first individual medallist since the 1988 Seoul Olympics where boxer Hussain Shah claimed a middle-weight bronze.

Nadeem and Chopra, despite being fierce competitors on the field, are good friends off it. A few months back, when Nadeem made a social media appeal for funds to buy a quality javelin, Chopra was among those who stepped forward to offer their support.

The over six feet tall Nadeem was the dark horse in Thursday night's final where Chopra entered as the top qualifier.

But the Pakistani, who won the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold with an over 90m effort, stunned the high-quality field with two throws that measured over 90m, one of them being a new Olympic record, which was previously held by Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen, who cleared 90.57m in the 2008 Beijing Games.

"I am thankful to the nation. Everyone prayed for me, and I was hopeful of doing well. Over the years, I got a knee injury and recovered, and worked hard on my fitness. I was even confident of throwing beyond 92.97m, but that throw was enough for me to get the gold," Nadeem said of his performance.

"I will continue to work hard and give my best in the days and months to come. I am planning to throw beyond this mark as well." Nadeem also gave a peak into his formative years and revealed that he started out as a cricketer, before trying his hand at table tennis but eventually took to javelin throw after being told that he had the built for it.

"I was a cricketer, I played table tennis, and I also participated in athletics events. But my coach told me I have got a very good physique for the javelin throw and I concentrated on javelin only from 2016," he said.

"People think my technique is more like a fast bowler than a javelin thrower, but I am happy with this action and the run-up I use. That is because of my early strength as a cricket bowler," he quipped.

Hailing from Khanewal village in Punjab region, Nadeem's training was initially supported by his village and he said that support has helped him stay grounded while touching new milestones for his country.

"I come from a farming village, and every time I win a medal I think about my origins and that motivates me to do better. That's the reason I have remained humble and that's why I want to become more successful.

"I had to go through very tough times to make it to this stage," he admitted. PTI