Arshad Nadeem. A name that did wonders in the javelin throw event of the Paris Olympics. Pakistan’s javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem broke the Olympic record and won the gold medal in the javelin throw event. He threw the javelin 92.97 meters and set a new Olympic record. Earlier, Norse athlete Thorkildsen Andreas had set a record of 90.57 meters in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Now Nadeem has destroyed this record. Along with this, this is the first time in the history of Pakistan when an athlete has won a gold medal in an individual event in the Olympics.
Actually, Arshad Nadeem’s father was a labourer. He did not have enough money to meet the expenses of Nadeem’s training apart from his household expenses. In such a situation, he had to collect donations for javelin throw training for the Paris Olympics. Not only this, due to financial constraints he had to prepare with an old spear. This spear had also become damaged. He had told that he could not buy a new javelin of international level for many years. And kept practicing with the old damaged spear. He had also requested the Pakistani Sports Administration to provide him a new javelin.
The journey of becoming a champion started from school
In an interview, Pakistan’s star athlete Arshad Nadeem had told that when he was young, he used to go with his father to watch Pakistan’s famous sport Nejabaazi. In this game, many players pick up a mark placed on the ground with a long stick in their hand. He liked this game and started training for it. But in the meantime he became interested in javelin throw and started practicing it. He says that his training in javelin throw also benefited him. When he threw the javelin during the school athletics event, everyone was surprised to see him. When school coach Rashid Ahmed Saki noticed his talent, he started training Nadeem in Javin throw.
Trials were given for government job
Nadeem, the third among eight siblings, says that the conditions at home were not good. His father used to work as a laborer for Rs 400-500. Despite all these circumstances, his father took good care of him and made arrangements for milk and ghee to ensure that he did not face any problem in practice. Due to poor conditions at home, Arshad Nadeem’s dream was to get a government job. He had given trials for Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority under sports quota. Then Pakistan’s star javelin thrower Syed Hussain Bukhari noticed him. Syed Hussain Bukhari not only got him a government job but also turned his career in a different direction.
Training for Paris Olympics with donated money
Nadeem’s father told in the interview that friends, village people and relatives have given money for Nadeem’s training. Regarding his son’s success, he said that people do not know how he has reached this position. A lot of hard work and the prayers of many people are with him. When he made it to the finals, there was an atmosphere of celebration in the village. Nadeem entered athletics in the year 2011. In the year 2015, Nadeem became the national champion of Pakistan. Nadeem became the first track and field athlete from Pakistan to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. He won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022.