Arshad Nadeem, a name that has made waves at the Paris Olympics in the javelin throw event. Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem shattered the Olympic record in the javelin throw event, clinching the gold medal. He hurled the javelin to a distance of 92.97 meters, setting a new Olympic record. Previously, Norwegian athlete Thorkildsen Andreas held the record with a throw of 90.57 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but Nadeem has now surpassed it. This is the first time in Pakistan's history that an athlete has won a gold medal in an individual Olympic event.
Actually, Arshad Nadeem's father was a laborer. They did not have enough money to bear the training expenses for Nadeem beyond household expenses. Thus, he had to collect donations for his javelin throw training for the Paris Olympics. Furthermore, due to financial constraints, he had to train with an old, damaged javelin as he could not afford a new, international-level one. He had appealed to the Pakistani sports administration for a new javelin.
The Journey from School to Champion
In an interview, Pakistan's star athlete Arshad Nadeem mentioned how he, as a child, accompanied his father to watch the famous Pakistani sport of Tent Pegging, where players use long sticks to lift a mark from the ground. This sport captivated him, and he began training for it. Meanwhile, he developed an interest in javelin throw and started practicing it. He said that the training for Tent Pegging benefited his javelin throw performance. During a school athletics event, his javelin throw performance stunned everyone. His talent caught the eye of school coach Rashid Ahmed Saki, who began Nadeem's javelin throw training.
Trials for a Government Job
One of eight siblings, Nadeem mentioned the difficult conditions at home. His father earned 400-500 rupees from labor work. Despite the circumstances, his father took good care and ensured that Nadeem had milk and butter for his practice sessions. Due to financial constraints, Nadeem dreamt of securing a government job. He gave trials under the sports quota for Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority. There, Pakistan's star javelin thrower Syed Hussain Bukhari noticed him. Syed Hussain Bukhari not only helped him secure a government job but also steered his career in a new direction.
Training for the Paris Olympics with Donated Money
In an interview, Nadeem’s father revealed that friends, villagers, and relatives contributed money for Nadeem’s training. Speaking about his son's success, he said that people do not know the hard work and prayers it took for Nadeem to reach this height. When he secured a spot in the finals, the whole village celebrated. Nadeem embarked on his athletics journey in 2011. In 2015, Nadeem became the national champion of Pakistan. He was the first Pakistani track and field athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics and won a gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
