Angry and hurt Neeraj Chopra must find bandwidth to rise above unsavory din

The question asked of him on Monday – “Have you invited Arshad Nadeem?” – seemed curious and innocent. Neeraj Chopra’s honesty made him not dodge the question. It is not as if he would not have been aware of the ramifications, but he would have no inkling of the dastardly terror attack that killed 26 unarmed civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday. 

There would be so many more twists and turns before all invited competitors show up in Bengaluru. And not all of it would be in Neeraj Chopra’s control. It would take but a moment to pause and reflect that the proud Indian did not intend to offend his own country by sending out an invite to an Olympic Games gold medalist. 

Yet, it is a shame that keyboard warriors target elite athletes, who have brought unprecedented laurels to the country, and their families. They troll them like nobody’s business. It is a travesty that, unable to do anything else, they vent their frustrations on social media and, in some cases, in physical terms as well. 

It is one thing to feel and express anger and grief at the Pahalgam killings but altogether another to attribute wrong motives to and challenge Neeraj Chopra’s patriotism. It is clear that his critics and cynics do not really know the man and his emotions for his country – or for his sport and his fellow competitors. 

Comment is free, but facts are sacred, CP Scott had written more than a century ago. It is unlikely that the keyboard warriors have heard this dictum. And even if they have, they do not understand or respect the deep thought that it encompasses. Unfortunately, they pile on so much heat that even the usually insulated athlete is forced to respond.

While he has responded with dignity, his anger at his family being dragged into controversy comes through tellingly. And why not? The Army man who has won the hearts of millions around the world with his graceful behaviour has been needled into standing up for his family, especially his mother.

Even before he met representatives of India’s electronic media after winning his second successive Olympic Games medal in Paris last year, Neeraj Chopra’s mother had won millions of hearts with a simple comment about Arshad Nadeem. It is natural that he cannot comprehend how that comment evoked a sharp rebuke from the unthinking keyboard warriors.

In his own way, he has shown great leadership skills by not being silent about the values he lives with. And it is not as if he has posted his response to elicit sympathy or, as some would say, ‘likes’ on his social media post. He has not come across as vulnerable but as one who had to show that he has the courage to write his own story and in the manner he deems appropriate.

Then again, you can argue that the question should never have been asked in the first place. But journalists have a job to do, and their curiosity only reflects that of the readers. And Neeraj Chopra is not the sort who would duck the question. He was candid enough to say that he had been in touch with Arshad Nadeem, but the latter had not made any decision yet.

It is just as well that the affable Neeraj Chopra has invested a reasonable amount of time attending to his feelings of hurt and anger. Hopefully, he will have the bandwidth to put this unsavory episode behind, heal his wounded soul and get back to throwing the spear really long distances.