In August, Arshad Nadeem did the unthinkable. After forty years, a Pakistani could claim to be an Olympic medalist. For the very first time, a Pakistani could claim to be an Olympic record holder. From the lowly village of Mian Channu to the grandest stage in all of sports, Nadeem became a shining example of Pakistan’s raw talent. A product of diligence and tenacity, he was a star who was courageous enough to pave his way where none existed.

Wrapped in his beloved flag, serenaded by the onlookers, and driven by the love of 235 million well-wishers at home, Nadeem was about to etch his name in history forever. But, the coronation was significant not just because of that.

Arshad Nadeem. Neeraj Chopra.

Two legends. Two neighbors. Two medalists ascended the podium, and hearts aligned not just across the country, but across borders too.

Neeraj Chopra, from India, ranked second in the coveted javelin throw category. Even though India and Pakistan have continually been embroiled in a complex, interminable rivalry, the fleeting glimpse of two Olympians in a friendly embrace was enough to highlight the factitious differences that are apparent in everyday life. It was enough to unite people in the collective joy of the South Asian victory. It was enough to show that no borders exist in sports.

When Chopra’s mother lovingly remarked that Nadeem was also her “son”, it showed how sports cultivate love where people shouldn’t even be seeing eye to eye. When Nadeem’s mother reciprocated the same, mutual feeling for her “son” Chopra, it showed that in sports, the currency is passion and effort, not blood and background.

Sport, in its truest sense, is an emotion. An emotion nurtured from the excitement and fear of the audience eager to see their favorites clinch the prize. An emotion fostered from respect for the opponent, the person or team whom you know has eyes on the prize, prime to fight for it, to throw down in the field, like gazelles wary of their surroundings, for the thing that means the world to you and them.

We may choose our sides, we may bet on our teams, we may regret our choices, but it is about something greater than that – the memories it creates to be cherished forever, the power it holds to bind us all together.