Bajrang Punia echoes Neeraj Chopra’s sentiments, says, ‘respect athletes whether from Pakistan or elsewhere’

Bajrang Punia's statement comes after Neeraj Chopra tried to calm down the storm raised by his revelation in an interview that Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem had picked up his javelin ahead of the final in Tokyo Olympics.

Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia echoed the same sentiments as Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, saying sport should not be used as a medium to discriminate. Punia’s statement comes after javelin thrower Chopra said he was pained by the controversy surrounding his comments on Pakistani Arshad Nadeem using his javelin during the Tokyo Games and called the entire furore "propaganda aimed at pushing a dirty agenda." “Whether the athlete is from Pakistan or any other country, he represents his nation. He is a sportsperson first. So it’s not like we’ll say something against that person because he is from Pakistan. There should be respect for athletes,” wrestler Bajrang, who won the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, told The Indian Express. “I haven’t seen Neeraj’s video, but sport teaches us how to remain united, instead of discriminating. When I meet wrestlers from Russia, USA, it’s always very cordial, it doesn’t feel like we are rivals; we are all like brothers. The competitive spirit is on the mat only,” Bajrang added.