Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: September 13, 2023 | 
| 中文
Arshad Nadeem throwing javelin in the Commonwealth Games 2022
In this day and age, rarely any sportsman in Pakistan gets its due recognition and the necessary support needed, except for cricketers. Pakistan, which once ruled the world of squash and hockey, now rarely produce sportsmen who are able to compete internationally in these games. Aisam ul Haq Qureshi, Suhail Abbas, Shakeel Abbasi and others, are a few of the sportsmen who could have been global sporting icons with governmental support. Even if their skills and performances are hailed internationally, at the national level they remain neglected, primarily because of the media’s lack of coverage and insufficient governmental support. One such recent example is Arshad Nadeem, who recently won a silver medal for Pakistan in the Javelin throw in the 2023 World Athletics Championship. Arshad has also won Gold in the 2022 Common Wealth Games and 2019 South Asian Games, and is now set to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
Arshad throwing javelin in the World Athletics Championship 2022 in Oregon, USA
Arshad Nadeem, born in Mian Channu, Khanewal, on 2 January 1997, belongs to a middle-class family, who rose through the ranks to become one of the most successful sportsmen in Pakistan. Arshad was a very good sportsman, as he played cricket, football, badminton and was also good at athletics during his school days. He was so good at cricket that he played in district-level cricket tournaments during his school days. During an athletic championship in school, Arshad's athletic talent was spotted by a local coach, Rasheed Ahmed Saqi, who Arshad regards as very good at spotting and nurturing talent in his district. He was initially very good at discus and shot put as well, along with javelin throws, but eventually, he gave up the first two to focus on javelin. He had already left cricket by then, and his focus reaped awards as he won gold medals in successive Punjab Youth Festivals and inter-board competitions. Arshad received offers for trials from different domestic athletics teams, including WAPDA, Air Force and Army, and he chose to appear in WAPDA’s trials. After initial hiccups, he was eventually hired by WAPDA, for whom he won Gold in the inter-departmental Championship with a 69-m throw. At the young age of 18, he won the National Championship in 2016, resulting in his selection for the 2016 South Asian Games. His progress since then has been phenomenal, as he won a bronze medal in the 2016 South Asian Games and the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games. Arshad was placed 7th in Asian Games 2017, and 8th in Commonwealth Games, 2018, and won a bronze medal in the 2018 Asian Games, which propelled him to the global stage. His first Gold came in the 2019 South Asian Games, where he set a national record of 86.29 m throw, which he himself broke in the 2022 Asian Games with a 90.18 m throw, currently an Asian record.
Arshad Nadeem, the champion of the Commonwealth Games 2022, with the runners-up of the tournament
The Olympics are considered the benchmark for judging a country's sporting caliber and talent. Pakistan has failed miserably at the Olympics, as it has won only 10 medals so far in 17 games it has participated in, the last one in 1992. Since then, in the last six Olympic Games, Pakistan has held the undesirable record of being the most populous nation without winning a single medal. In this context, Arshad's prospect of winning a Gold, or even Silver or Bronze, in the Olympics should make him one of the most important sportsmen in Pakistan, deserving of institutional support. Private institutions and corporations should also step in to support and sponsor athletes like Arshad, who are going to make Pakistan proud in the future.
Arshad Nadeem throwing javelin in the World Athletics Championship 2022 in Oregon, USA
Arshad Nadeem did not receive any support from concerned departments, as according to his father, he did not have a ground to practice in for the Olympics. Fitness machines, a nutritious diet, and traveling for games, which are the basic necessities for a sportsman that newcomer athletes cannot afford, require financial support from government and private institutions. Arshad says in an interview that Pakistan has no special ground for athletes, nor do they have proper, international-quality equipment for Javelin throw. In contrast, India's Neeraj Chopra, who is Arshad's main competitor globally and was the gold medalist of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in Javelin throw, gets financial as well as institutional support from the Indian government. Chopra has been honored with Padma Shiri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, and Khel Ratna, the highest sporting award in the country. Neeraj has also received around 7 crore Indian rupees (around 20 crore PKR) for his training since he began to compete at the international level from 2016. Chopra is as popular as a top international cricketer in India, while no one in Pakistan knows or appreciates Arshad for his efforts and talent.
Arshad Nadeem with his main competitor, India's Neeraj Chopra
The 6-foot-2-inch Arshad is preparing for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and is hoping to win a gold medal for Pakistan for the first time in two decades. He practices 6-day a week, and each day he practices both in the morning and evening for over two to three hours. Arshad is married and has two children, a boy and a girl. We wish Arshad good luck for Olympics next year, and hopefully Pakistan Olympics Association (POA) will provide him all the facilities required for his training and financial support, if he needs it. Arshad should be celebrated as a sports hero and given due recognition and awards by the government of Pakistan.
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