Neeraj Chopra makes surprise phone call to young Pakistani javelin thrower Muhammad Yasir
(Courtesy : Twitter)
The reigning Olympic champion congratulated the youngster for his medal in the Asian Athletics Championships.
Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra proved ‘sports have no boundaries’ after the Indian javelin ace rang up Pakistan’s talented Muhammad Yasir for winning the bronze medal in the recently concluded Asian Athletics Championships 2023.
Yasir threw his career best throw of 79.93m to secure a bronze medal in the absence of experienced star Arshad Nadeem, who missed the championships due to an injury.
“It was a pleasant surprise when Neeraj Chopra bhai called me up and appreciated my performance after I won the bronze medal in the javelin event recently. He wished me best of luck for future events”, Yasir told Geo TV.
He further added “I closely follow Chopra’s performances and his training routines. The only difference between Pakistani and Indian athletes is that they have the opportunity to train with foreign coaches on a long-term basis at the best facilities in countries known for producing top athletes.
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“In Pakistan, unfortunately, we don’t even have the proper equipment or foreign coaches. We have to manage somehow, a reason also why we need to appreciate the performances of Arshad Nadeem”, said Yasir.
He was the only medalist for Pakistan in the Asian Athletics Championship 2023. India’s Manu Devarakeshavi Prakash secured silver with 81.01m and helped India add to their overall medals tally – 27 (including six gold, 12 silver, and nine bronze medals)
Neeraj Chopra will next be seen in action at the World Athletics Championships 2023 and will be looking to change his medals colour from silver to gold.
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