Aasha Khosa/New Delhi

After a long gap, sparks are flying between India and Pakistan, thanks to the Tokyo Olympics where India performed its best of all time and the Pakistanis took note of it with awe and without rancor.

While sports lovers were looking forward to the Indo-Pak clash in the Javelin throw on August 7 between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem, the Indian stunned the world with his golden performance while the Pakistani too did his best and stood at 5th position in the event.

The two players shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before and after their performances and the Pakistanis took note of it. Commentators, who generally have no love lost for India, appreciated Neeraj’s gesture to going to Nadeem to shake hands as true sportsmanship.

On television shows, some political commentators also traced Neeraj’s origins to a Punjab village that has since got a new name in their country. It seems Neerja’s grandfather had migrated from (Pakistan) Punjab to Panipat in Haryana in 1947.

Arshad Nadeem is said to be a fan of his Indian rival and also follows his game. Nadeem even posted on Twitter a picture of the duo, from the 2018 Asian games, to pay his tributes to Neeraj Chopra after he won the Olympic Gold. The picture has gone viral with both Indians and Pakistanis appreciating the bonhomie between two sportspersons. 

Congress leaderTanseen Poonawalla shared the picture on Twitter:

Dearest #ArshadNadeem
I found this pic from the Asian Games 2018 . I also recollect you won the bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games behind #Gold medallist #NeerajChopra . We in India hope to see more of both of you on the podium.
🇮🇳 🇵🇰. #goldmedal #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/ES07zzvkCs

— Tehseen Poonawalla Official 🇮🇳 (@tehseenp) August 7, 2021

Not only the commentators were excited about India’s comeback as a hockey power after four decades, they also claimed this was the “return of Asian hockey on the world scene.”

Almost owning up the Indian victory, the sports experts of Pakistan said this is a grand beginning of the revival of hockey in the sub-continent.

Another striking thing that Pakistani media watchers felt was that the experts heaped copious praises on the techniques and skills of the Indians. One commentator said India has created a mix of Asian and European styles and asserted Pakistan should also follow this.

A top sports journalist wished India and Pakistan played hockey matches like cricket to give a push to the game. He also predicted India will dominate world hockey. “I foresee Indian girls and boys all over the country picking hockey sticks and the best talents coming out of this,’ said a commentator.

Pakistan’s hockey team was not able to qualify for the Olympics.