Arshad Nadeem – the beacon for Pakistan’s athletics

On the hot and humid afternoon of August 4, 2021, when Pakistan was going through below average rainfall and a drought like situation, a young lad in his mid-twenties decided to throw a spear so far that it ended the drought on Pakistan’s qualifications to Olympics finals. It was Arshad Nadeem’s 85.16 m javelin throw that propelled him into the finals of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. His stellar performance not only shattered personal records but also ushered in a new era of hope and achievement for Pakistani athletics.

Fast forward to Paris Olympics 2024. This year Arshad Nadeem has, once again demonstrated his prowess with a season-best throw of 86.59m cruising to the Olympic javelin final once again. Unfortunately, the difference between his 2020 qualification and 2024 qualification throw is also the distance that Pakistan has travelled in terms of supporting, training and polishing its athletes.

Arshad Nadeem becomes Pakistan’s only Olympian to qualify for finals

Arshad’s story is one of immense determination and community support. According to his father, Muhammad Ashraf, the people from Arshad’s hometown in Khanewal were his earliest sponsors, pooling money to fund his travels for training and competitions. His father, his village, and the entire country eagerly await the moment he can bring home an Olympic medal—a dream that narrowly eluded him in 2021 when he finished fifth in the final.

This year, once again, the 2023 World Championships silver medallist, has a chance to fulfil that dream. On Tuesday, he made history yet again at the Stade de France venue by qualifying for the final round – in stark contrast from the Punjab Stadium or the gym at Punjab University where Arshad has been training with dilapidated equipment.

Olympics qualification and then journey to the might have been a hallmark for Arshad and for Pakistan’s sports in general, but that is not the only feather in this athlete’s cap. Arshad Nadeem embarked on his javelin throw career in 2015, marking the beginning of a journey that would elevate him to the global stage. In 2016, his potential was recognised with a scholarship from World Athletics, enabling him to train at the IAAF High Performance Training Centre in Mauritius. This opportunity provided him with the training and resources needed to refine his skills.

PM Shehbaz congratulates Arshad Nadeem on qualifying for Olympic javelin final

In February 2016, Nadeem showcased his burgeoning talent by winning a bronze medal at the South Asian Games in Guwahati, India, where he set a national record and personal best of 78.33 metres. His success continued in June 2016 at the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Ho Chi Minh, where he again secured a bronze medal.

The following year, in May 2017, Nadeem earned another bronze medal with a throw of 76.33 metres at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku. His upward trajectory was evident in April 2018, when he set a new personal best of 80.45 metres during the qualification round at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, finishing eighth overall.

August 2018 marked another milestone as Nadeem won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, setting a new personal best and national record of 80.75 metres. His relentless pursuit of excellence continued in 2019. As the sole Pakistani athlete at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, he achieved a new personal best and national record of 81.52 metres. That same year, in November, he set another national record with an 83.65 metre throw to win gold for WAPDA at the 33rd National Games in Peshawar. In December 2019, he clinched a gold medal with an 86.29 metre games record throw at the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal.

Nadeem’s defining moment came on August 4, 2021, when he qualified for the men’s javelin throw final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Although he finished fifth, his performance was a beacon of hope for Pakistani athletics. In July 2022, he competed at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA, finishing fifth in the final with a throw of 86.16 metres. His persistence paid off on August 7, 2022, when he won a gold medal for Pakistan at the Commonwealth Games.

In 2023, Nadeem continued to break barriers, winning a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest with a throw of 87.82 metres, marking Pakistan’s first ever medal at the World Championships. This achievement also secured his qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Arshad Nadeem all set to attend Paris Olympics

Arshad’s Indian rival, defending Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, spent the summer in Europe acclimatising for the Olympics. Arshad and Neeraj have been facing each other time and again. The man in green and white has yet to surpass the man in tri-colors. The duo shared the podium at the 2018 Asian Games where Neeraj won the gold while Nadeem won bronze. In 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Neeraj once again landed the gold medal while Arshad Nadeem took silver.

Neeraj Chopra is not the only competitor that Arshad needs to surpass. There are other rivals from Brazil, Finland, Germany and other countries, are competing at an endless list of competitions in the warm up to Paris.

Tomorrow, Arshad Nadeem lands in the Stade de France arena armed with his passion and the prayers of his entire country. He steps onto the field not just as an athlete, but as a symbol of hope and perseverance for millions of Pakistanis, carrying the weight of a nation’s dreams and aspirations.