Pak’s Arshad Nadeem calls Neeraj Chopra a ‘friend forever’; Neeraj’s mother says ‘Arshad is like our son’

News Network
August 9, 2024

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Millions across two nations split by a contentious border stayed up well past midnight, glued to their television sets as a battle for the ages unfolded in Paris. In the end, the men’s javelin gold medal changed hands, and countries, at the Olympic Games with an unassuming Pakistani grabbing the ultimate prize from a celebrated yet modest and humble Indian champion. Arshad Nadeem was a popular winner after unleashing a sequence of monster throws punctuated by a new Games record; defending champion Neeraj Chopra was beaten but not defeated.

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.

As the two great rivals sank into each other’s arms, it was hard to remain unmoved. They might belong to countries that espouse differing ideologies and often are at loggerheads politically and otherwise, but they were united by the bond of competitive spirit and mutual respect. The camaraderie was obvious, but clearly, this was more than just professional respect. With their careers running parallel to each other, Neeraj and Arshad have managed to transcend boundaries and strike up a grand friendship that shouldn’t really come as a surprise to anyone who has a sporting bone in their body.

In a post on X, Nadeem compared the competition between him and Chopra to the famous cricket battles between India and Pakistan. He shared a picture with Chopra, captioning it with the words, "We are always natural friends," along with the flags of both nations.

"The rivalry is there when it comes to cricket matches and other sports, definitely. But at the same time, it is a good thing for youngsters in both countries who are pursuing a sport to follow us and follow their sports icons and bring laurels to their countries," Nadeem told reporters after his historic win.

Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra's mother, Saroj Devi, told news agency ANI 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 said.

"He (Neeraj Chopra) was injured, so we are happy with his performance. I will cook his favourite food," she added. Chopra's father, Satish Kumar, said it was Pakistan's day in the men's javelin throw final.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
November 27,2025

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Bengaluru: The Vokkaligara Sangha on Thursday issued a stern warning to the Congress, saying the party could face serious electoral repercussions if Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is not appointed as Chief Minister.

The warning follows the public backing of Shivakumar’s chief ministerial ambition by top Vokkaliga pontiff Nirmalanandanatha Swami, who urged the Congress high command to honor his claim.

“The community supported Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections only because Shivakumar had a real chance to become CM. If he is cheated, we’ll teach the party a big lesson,” said newly elected Sangha president L. Srinivas. He added that Vokkaligas would organize protests under the guidance of community leaders.

General Secretary C.G. Gangadhar pointed out that Congress won more seats in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region due to Shivakumar’s influence, adding, “If Congress wants to retain power, Shivakumar should be made the CM.”

Outgoing president Kenchappa Gowda emphasized Shivakumar’s contribution to Congress’ victory. “Our community voted for Congress thinking he would become CM. Siddaramaiah has also served the party well, but Shivakumar should now be given a chance,” he said.

Former general-secretary Konappa Reddy appealed to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to recognize Shivakumar’s loyalty and service, saying, “Congress is known to keep its promises. We hope it won’t break the promise made to him.”

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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