Arshad Nadeem creates history, ends country’s gold drought

ARSHAD Nadeem has ended the country’s gold medal drought that lasted 40 years, by winning the finals of the javelin throw competition at the Paris Olympics. Smarting from a failed first throw, in his second attempt he sent the javelin soaring into the sky before it hit the ground 92.97 metres away from the marker, thus creating an unassailable Olympic record.

Sports enthusiasts across the country, who were watching the competition over their television sets, were ecstatic as they saw Arshad shatter the 118-year record at the Stade de France in the French capital. He became the first Pakistani to create an Olympic record; Arshad therefore achieved what seemed to be impossible given the odds he was fighting against.  

Arshad Nadeem achieved several firsts at the Paris Olympics, not just one, according to analysts. He is the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympic Games or the World Athletics Championships. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games he created a new Games record with a throw of 90.18m and became the first athlete from South Asia to breach the 90m mark.

In 2023, he became the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, by winning a silver medal. He represents WAPDA in domestic championships.

Arshad Nadeem was born into a family of Mian Chunnu, Punjab. He was an exceptionally versatile athlete from his early school years. Though he dabbled in all the sports on offer in his school — cricket, badminton, football and athletics — his passion was cricket and he soon began playing in district-level tape-ball tournaments.

Upon entering grade seven in school, Arshad caught the eye of Rasheed Ahmad Saqi during an athletics competition. Saqi had a history of developing sportspeople in the division, and took Arshad under his wings soon afterwards. Before settling on javelin throw, Arshad also pursued shot put and discus throw.

Gold medals in javelin throw contests in successive youth festivals and an inter-board meet propelled him to the national stage, bringing offers from all the leading domestic athletics teams, including the army, air force and WAPDA. It was his father Muhammad Ashraf who persuaded him to take up the sport of javelin throwing.