Arshad Nadeem


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Arshad Nadeem (Punjabi and Urdu: ارشد ندیم; born 2 January 1997) is a Pakistani javelin thrower.[1] Nadeem is the current Olympic record holder in the event, throwing a gold medal winning distance of 92.97m at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He is a two times Olympian[3] and the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympic Games[4] and the World Athletics Championships.[5] At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he created a new national and Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18m and became the first ever athlete from South Asia to breach the 90m mark.[6] In 2023, he became the first ever Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, by winning a silver medal.[7] He represents WAPDA in the domestic competition. In the 2024 Olympics he won the gold medal by setting a new Olympic record of 92.97 meters.

Arshad Nadeem

File:Arshad Nadeem Pakistan.jpg

Olympian Arshad Nadeem in 2022

Personal information
Full nameArshad Nadeem
Born2 January 1997 (age 27)
Mian Channu, Punjab, Pakistan [1]
EmployerWAPDA
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight95 kg (209 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventJavelin throw
Coached bySalman Iqbal Butt (Pak) Terseus Liebenberg (RSA)
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking2 (achieved on 9 August 2024)[2]
Personal bestsNR 92.97 m (2024)[1]
Updated on 27 August 2023

Early life

Arshad Nadeem was born into a Punjabi family in Mian Channu, Punjab, Pakistan.[8] He is the third-oldest among eight siblings.[8] Arshad was an exceptionally versatile athlete from his early school years. Though he dabbled in all the sports on offer in his school — cricket, badminton, football and athletics — his passion was cricket and he soon found himself playing it at district-level tape-ball tournaments.[9] Upon entering grade seven in school, Arshad caught the eye of Rasheed Ahmad Saqi during an athletics competition. Saqi had a history of developing sportspeople in the division, and took Arshad under his wing soon afterwards.[10]

Before settling on javelin throw, Arshad also pursued shot put and discus throw. Gold medals in javelin throw in successive Punjab Youth Festivals and an inter-board meet propelled him on to the national stage, bringing offers from all the leading domestic athletics teams, including Army, Air Force and WAPDA.[10] It was his father Muhammad Ashraf who persuaded him to take up the sport of javelin throw.[11]

Career

Early years (2015–2019)

 
Nadeem at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati

Arshad Nadeem started competing in javelin throw events in 2015. In 2016, he received a scholarship from World Athletics which made him eligible to train at the IAAF High Performance Training Centre in Mauritius.[9]

In February 2016, Nadeem won the bronze medal at the South Asian Games in Guwahati, India. He set national record and his personal best of 78.33 metres in the athletics event.[12]

In June 2016, Nadeem won the bronze medal at the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championship held in Ho Chi Minh.[13]

In May 2017, Nadeem won a bronze medal with a best throw of 76.33 metres at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku.[14] In April 2018, he set a new personal best of 80.45 metres in the qualification round of the javelin throw event[15] and finished eight at the Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia.[16] He also sustained a back injury following the end of 2018 Commonwealth Games.[9] In August 2018, he won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he set a new personal best and national record of 80.75m.[17]

As the only Pakistani athlete at the 2019 World Athletics Championships[18] in Doha, Qatar, Nadeem achieved a new personal best and national record of 81.52m.[19] In November 2019, Nadeem set a national record when he recorded an 83.65 metre throw to win gold for WAPDA at the 33rd National Games in Peshawar.[20] In December 2019, he won a gold medal with an 86.29 metre games record throw at the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal.[21]

2021

2020 Olympics

Nadeem made his debut appearance at the Olympics representing Pakistan at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were held in 2021. In doing so, he became the first ever Pakistani track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympics.[22][23] His father stated that Nadeem was not even provided with a good training ground facility prior to competing at the Olympics.[24] Nadeem underwent training in his own house's courtyard and streets and is believed to have not received any financial assistance from the Government of Pakistan after qualifying to participate at the Tokyo Olympics.[11]

On 4 August 2021, he qualified for the men's javelin throw event final of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[25][26] He became the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event in the history of Olympics.[27][28] He finished fifth in the men's javelin throw event with a throw of 84.62 m.[29][30]

2022

World Athletics Championships

From March 2022 until the start of the world championships, Nadeem underwent training in South Africa under the supervision of the world athletic coach Terseus Liebenberg.[31] The training was arranged by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan.[32][33]

In July 2022, Nadeem participated in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA, as the sole representative from Pakistan. He finished 5th in the final with a throw of 86.16m.[34]

Commonwealth Games

 
Nadeem at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

On 7 August 2022, he won a gold medal for Pakistan at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Despite carrying an injury, Nadeem made a games record with his throw of 90.18m on his fifth attempt, surpassing World Champions Anderson Peters' attempt of 88.64 in the competition, meanwhile also becoming the first South Asian to cross the 90m mark.[6][35] This was Pakistan's first athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games since 1962.[36]

Islamic Games

Five days later on 12 August 2022, he won another gold medal for Pakistan at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games. He made a games record with his throw of 88.55m.[37]

In November 2022, Nadeem won the gold medal in the javelin throw event with a throw of 81.21 meters at the 50th National Athletics Championship in Lahore.[38]

Treatment for injury

Nadeem left for the UK on 1 December 2022 to get treatment on his injured elbow and knee joint. The Athletics Federation of Pakistan arranged for him to be treated at the Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital. After a ten-day rehabilitation and physiotherapy period, full recovery was to take a further four to six weeks.[39]

2023

National Games of Pakistan and knee injury

Nadeem participated in the National Games of Pakistan and won a gold medal in the javelin throw event. However, he picked up a knee injury, which ruled him out of the Asian Athletics Championships. Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP)’s president Akram Sahi blamed WAPDA for forcing Nadeem to participate in the National Games.[40][41]

World Athletics Championships

Nadeem won a silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest with a throw of 87.82m. This was Pakistan's first ever medal at the World Athletics Championships.[42] He also secured qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympics during the event eventually winning it with an Olympic record.[43]

2024

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Arshad Nadeem made history by becoming the first Pakistani to win an individual Olympic Gold medal, claiming the Men's Javelin, setting a new Olympic record of 92.97 meters.

Personal life

Arshad Nadeem is married with two children, a daughter and a son. He is a devout Muslim.[44] He describes himself as an introvert, someone who does not have many friends and keeps himself.[45] His coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, a former national-level discus thrower, recounted him as a very respectful and obeying athlete who bows his head as he hears his coach’s words. “He is Zen-like. He is quiet. He is focused, and no matter the setback, he does not let it linger. This is one of the most incredible things about Nadeem, and you cannot really teach it either,” his coach said.[46]

International competitions

NR−National Record
GR−Games Record
q−Qualification round
SB− Season's Best
Representing   Pakistan
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2016 South Asian Games Guwahati, India   Javelin throw 78.33 m
Asian Junior Athletics Championships Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam   Javelin throw 73.40 m
World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 30th (q) Javelin throw 67.17 m
2017 Islamic Solidarity Games Baku, Azerbaijan   Javelin throw 76.33 m
Asian Championships Bhubaneswar, India 7th Javelin throw 78.00 m
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 8th Javelin throw 76.02 m
Asian Games Jakarta, Indonesia   Javelin throw 80.75 m
2019 Asian Championships Doha, Qatar 6th Javelin throw 78.55 m
World Championships Doha, Qatar 16th (q) Javelin throw 81.52 m NR
South Asian Games Kathmandu, Nepal   Javelin throw 86.29 m GR NR
2021 Imam Reza Cup Mashhad, Iran   Javelin throw 86.38 m NR
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 5th Javelin throw 84.62 m
2022 World Championships Eugene, Oregon, United States 5th Javelin throw 86.16 m
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, England   Javelin throw 90.18 m GR NR
Islamic Solidarity Games Konya, Turkey   Javelin throw 88.55 m GR
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary   Javelin throw 87.82 m SB
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France   Javelin throw 92.97 m OR

Seasonal bests by year

Year Performance Place Date[1]
2015 70.46 metres Islamabad, Pakistan 3 April
2016 78.33 metres Guwahati, India 10 February
2017 78 metres Bhubaneswar, India 9 July
2018 80.75 metres Jakarta, Indonesia 27 August
2019 86.29 metres (GR) Kathmandu, Nepal 7 December
2021 86.38 metres Mashhad, Iran 12 April
2022 90.18 metres (GR) Birmingham, England 7 August
2023 87.82 metres Budapest, Hungary 27 August
2024 92.97 metres Paris, France 8 August

Awards and recognition

See also

References

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