Arshad Nadeem is like my son, says Neeraj Chopra’s mother

Family of India’s Neeraj Chopra said on Friday that they were elated by their son's performance after he clinched a silver medal in the men's javelin throw final at the Paris Olympics.

Neeraj Chopra, who got India its first silver medal at the games, fell short of retaining his Olympic gold medal, finishing with a best throw of 89.45 metres.

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won the gold medal – first for his country in the games. Nadeem threw an astonishing 92.97 metres for victory.

Neeraj Chopra's mother, Saroj Devi, told ANI news agency that she was happy with the way his son delivered at the Olympics and pointed out that she was eager to cook her son's favourite meal upon his return.

She also lauded Arshad Nadeem's performance, adding that he is also like their "son”. “We are very happy. For us, silver is also equal to gold. The one who got the gold (Arshad Nadeem) is also like our son,” Soroj Devi told ANI.

"He (Neeraj Chopra) was injured, so we are happy with his performance. I will cook his favourite food," she added.

Neeraj Chopra's father, Satish Kumar, said it was Pakistan's day in the men's javelin throw final. “Everyone has their day. Today was Pakistan's day. But we have won silver, and it is a proud thing for us,” Kumar told ANI. "I think his groin injury had a part in his performance."

He also added Neeraj's performance in Paris will serve as an inspiration for the next generation. "He has won silver for the country. We are happy and proud. All the youths will get inspired by him," Neeraj Chopra's father told reporters.

Neeraj's grandfather, Dharm Singh Chopra, also reacted to his grandson's win and said, "He has given his best performance and won silver, adding one more medal to the country."

Neeraj Chopra fell short of retaining his gold medal, finishing with a best throw of 89.45 metres. Despite a strong performance on his second attempt, he struggled with four foul throws, which prevented him from winning gold.

Chopra had won gold in Tokyo with a throw of 87.58m three years ago.

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record for his country's maiden individual gold at the showpiece event.

Nadeem managed a record 92.97m in his second attempt to set the bar too high for the rest of the field, including Chopra, who covered 89.45m in the second round to win the silver.

The earlier Olympic record stood at 90.57m in the name of Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway, set during the 2008 Beijing Games.