"His fellow villagers and relatives used to donate money" - Arshad Nadeem's father reveals his journey from an amateur to successful javelin thrower
Arshad Nadeem's father has been in awe of his performances at the Paris Olympics 2024. The 27-year-old is now the only hopeful prospect for an Olympic medal for Pakistan in the javelin throw. He is the only Asian representative who has crossed 90 meters in the sport.
Originating from Khanewal in the Punjab province of Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem received financial support from fellow villagers and relatives by stitching together resources to fund his early training and travel.
The villagers celebrated Nadeem's Olympic qualification with a lot of fanfare to evince pride over his successes. His father Mohammad Ashraf revealed Arshad Nadeem's journey from an amateur to a successful javelin thrower. He told PTI on the phone that:
"People have no idea how Arshad got to this place today. How his fellow villagers and relatives used to donate money so that he could travel to other cities for his training and events in his early days."
With seven athletes representing Pakistan at the Paris Olympics and all failing to impress, Arshad Nadeem has emerged as the last hope for a medal. His qualification for the final was well celebrated by his family and villagers who screamed "Pakistan Zindabad" out of joy and sweets were distributed for jubilation. His father further added:
"If my son can bring home an Olympic medal for Pakistan it would be the proudest moment for us and everyone in this village.
While cricket is considered the central sport in Pakistan, Nadeem's javelin success story remarkably drew the entire nation's attention. Community support and personal drive also go side by side with Nadeem's rise to glory.
Nadeem Arshad's journey to becoming a celebrated javelin thrower
He was the silver medalist in the World Championship last year and turned historic as he won gold at CWG 2022 in Birmingham. His throw of 90.18 meters at the CWG did not bring only gold to Pakistan but its first since 1962.
He qualified for the Olympic finals with a throw of 86.59 meters, while India's reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra topped the qualification chart with a throw of 89.34 meters.
Arshad Nadeem's journey has been of a never-say-die attitude. He is the first Pakistani ever to qualify for an Olympic and World Athletics Championship final in any track and field event.
These achievements make him a trailblazer in South Asian athletics, finding a place as the new national record and also the Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 meters. Last year, he also became the first Pakistani to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships securing a well-deserved silver medal.