Neeraj Chopra’s million-dollar act after Arshad Nadeem was left without Pakistan flag breaks the internet

While sports fanatics of the sub-continent gear up for the India versus Pakistan blockbuster in Asia Cup in cricket, India’s Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan produced a thriller of a contest in the early hours of Monday in Budapest, leaving fans on the edge of their seat, in the men’s javelin final at World Athletics Championships which eventually ended in both the players scripting history.

Separated by less than a metre in the nail-biter, Neeraj became India’s first ever gold medallist at the World Championships while Nadeem, who finished second, became the very first medallist for Pakistan in the history of the competition.

After opening the summit clash with a foul attempt, Neeraj soared to the gold medal position with his best throw of 88.17 m in his second attempt. Nadeem, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, shrugged off a slow start to pose a stiff competition with his season-best throw of 87.82 m in his third attempt which immediately saw him take the second position. The two remained intact at the top of the table till the very end with Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch securing the bronze with the best throw of 86.67 m.

After the historic gold medal win, Neeraj and Nadeem shared a hug. Later, as the Indian and Jakub posed in front of the cameras with their respective flags, as it has been the ritual, Nadeem was missing from the frame. The silver medallist was left with the Pakistan flag, but Neeraj, in a million-dollar act, invited him for the photographs as the pair stood together with the Indian flag behind.

This was the first time India had as many as three participants in the final with Kishore Jena (best of 84.77 m) having finished fifth while DP Manu (best of 84.14 m) finished sixth.

India now has medals of all colours with Neeraj being the owner of two of them. He had bagged the silver medal at the World Championships last year. Before his two medals, India’s last medalist was Anju Bobby George, in the 2003 World Championships, getting a bronze for the women’s long jump.

With the win, Neeraj is now an Olympic champion and the reigning World Championships gold medallist, making him only the second Indian after the legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra — to simultaneously hold the Olympics and Worlds title. Bindra had won the World Championships title when he was 23, and the Olympics gold at 25. He is also the third javelin thrower in the history to hold the Olympics and World Championships titles at the same time after the iconic Jan Zelezny of Czech Republic and Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway.