Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem: Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem, who created history by winning the gold medal in the javelin throw event of Paris Olympics, has made a big revelation. Actually, in the initial days, Nadeem did not invest himself in javelin throw, he was trying his best to become a cricketer. But javelin throw changed his luck.
27-year-old Nadeem won the gold medal on Thursday night by throwing 92.97 meters javelin and creating a new Olympic record. Neeraj Chopra also gave his best performance of this season and won the silver medal by measuring a distance of 89.45 meters. This is the first time in 11 matches that Nadeem has overtaken Chopra.
… left cricket and started throwing javelin
Nadeem said that earlier he wanted to become a cricketer and had also tried his hand in table tennis. But Nadeem’s coach advised him to try his hand at javelin.
He said, ‘I was a cricketer earlier and I have also played table tennis and I used to participate in other athletics competitions also. But my coach said that with the kind of physical structure I have, I can become a good javelin thrower. . After this, from 2016 onwards I focused my entire attention on javelin throw.
arshad nadeem talking about his journey. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/ydaoZ64DbR
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Nadeem-Neeraj rivalry in headlines
Nadeem is happy that his rivalry with Indian star Neeraj Chopra remains a topic of discussion as he believes that it inspires the youth of both the countries.
After becoming the first Pakistani player to win an individual gold medal, Nadeem told reporters, ‘When it comes to cricket matches or other sports, there is definitely rivalry involved in it. But this is a good thing for both the countries who want to join sports and bring glory to their country by following us and their idol players.
He is also Pakistan’s first individual medal winner since boxer Hussain Shah won the bronze medal in middle-weight at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Both are good friends off the field
Nadeem and Chopra, despite being fierce competitors on the field, are good friends off the field. A few months ago, when Nadeem appealed on social media to raise funds to buy a good javelin, Chopra also supported him.
Nadeem said, ‘I am grateful to my country. Everyone prayed for me and I was fully expected to perform well. I was troubled by a knee injury for some time, but after recovering from it, I worked on my fitness. I had full hopes of throwing the javelin beyond 92.97 meters but in the end that effort proved to be enough to win the gold medal.
‘My aim is to throw the javelin even further than this’
Six feet three inches tall Nadeem said, ‘I will continue to work hard and give my best in the future. My aim is to throw the javelin even further than this.
Nadeem, a resident of Khanewal village in the Punjab region, said, ‘I come from a farmer family and whenever I win a medal, I remember my past, which motivates me to perform better. This is why I am still humble and want to be more successful.
Neeraj Chopra has not been able to throw the javelin 90 meters yet in his career, whereas Nadeem has already achieved this feat.
never had money even to buy a spear
While Neeraj has all kinds of facilities available, Nadeem had also seen a time when he did not even have money to buy a javelin for himself.
Nadeem’s father Mohammad Ashraf told PTI, ‘People don’t know how Arshad reached this position. His friends, villagers and relatives used to raise funds for him so that he could travel to other cities to practice and participate in competitions.
Pakistan sent a total of 7 players to Paris and 6 of them failed to qualify for the finals of their respective events.
Why are Arshad Nadeem and his coach lucky?
When the National Sports Board of Pakistan was deciding who would bear the expenses of the 7 players going to the Paris Olympics, it found only Arshad Nadeem and his coach worthy.
Nadeem and his coach Salman Faiyaz Butt were lucky, whose air tickets were borne by PSB (Pakistan Sports Board).