After Neeraj Chopra secured silver at the Paris Olympics on Thursday (August 8), his mother, Saroj Devi, expressed deep pride and warmth towards history-making Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem who won the gold.

While praising the Pakistani athlete, Saroj Devi said that Arshad Nadeem is also “our child who has worked hard.”

In a moment that transcended borders and rivalry, Saroj Devi told news agency ANI, “Everyone is really happy. For us, silver is also gold… the boy who got gold (Arshad Nadeem) is also my child, everyone goes there after doing a lot of hard work.”

“Neeraj and Arshad share an incredible bond. This is how a rivalry should be - healthy and competitive devoid of any jingoist toxicity,” she added.

Neeraj Chopra's father, Satish, also expressed immense pride in his son's performance and acknowledged that it was Pakistan’s day in the men’s javelin throw final. He also mentioned that Chopra’s injury played a role in his performance.

“Everyone has their day. Today was Pakistan’s day. But we have won silver, and it is a proud thing for us. I think his groin injury had a part in his performance,” he told ANI.

On Thursday, Nadeem made history by securing Pakistan's first Olympic medal in athletics, winning gold in the men's javelin event. His impressive throw of 92.97 meters on his second attempt not only broke the Olympic record but also positioned him sixth on the all-time list of javelin throws.

He is also Pakistan’s first individual medallist since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where boxer Hussain Shah won a middleweight bronze.