Arshad Nadeem’s long, unwavering spear of hope
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Words often fall short in expressing the emotions that Pakistan felt on Thursday night when Arshad Nadeem clinched the nation’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medal. This historic moment not only ended a 32-year medal drought for Pakistan but also marked the country’s first gold medal since 1984, won by the hockey team.
The landmark achievement by Nadeem symbolizes the spirit of determination and triumph against overwhelming odds.
Arshad stepped into the Olympic Village in Paris last month as Pakistan’s only serious medal contender, though there were some hopes from members of the shooting team as well. However, once the shooters got eliminated, all eyes and hopes were on Nadeem.
This hope became more realistic when Arshad made a confident throw of over 86m in the qualification round of the Javelin throw to confirm himself into the final in a single throw.
Nadeem’s qualifying throw of 86.59 meters was a solid statement of his intent, boosting his confidence to give it his all for gold.
In the finals, Arshad’s javelin soared to an astonishing 92.97 meters on his second attempt, a throw that not only earned him gold but also shattered both the Olympic and Asian records. A throw so powerful that it dented his competitors’ confidence.
He returned for a final-round throw of 91.79 meters, the second-best performance of his career. A rare occasion of an athlete making multiple throws of over 90m in the same event.
His story is as extraordinary as his victory.
Nadeem hails from a humble background in Punjab’s Mian Channu, and his journey is one of remarkable transformation. He first came into the limelight with a notable 70.46-meter throw in the National Championship in Islamabad, followed by a South Asian Games bronze in Guwahati to create a new national record with a throw of 78.33m. Since then, Nadeem has consistently raised his personal best, to get recognition as one of the finest javelin throwers of this era.
From the local gyms where the latest equipment was probably older than him, to competing at the highest level and conquering the world of the javelin, his path was always fraught with challenges.
Despite all challenges, his dedication and resilience remained strong, he grappled with limited facilities and financial constraints to ascend to glory and set an example of determination and will-power.
Nadeem navigated a landscape where support for athletes is always insufficient, where the infrastructure is absent, where dreams are frequently overshadowed by adversity and where the country is obsessed with just one sport – and it’s not the one Nadeem was playing.
Nadeem navigated a landscape where support for athletes is always insufficient, where the infrastructure is absent, where dreams are overshadowed by adversity and where the country is obsessed with just one sport – and it’s not the one Nadeem was playing.
Faizan Lakhani
Yet, he persisted. He turned every hurdle into a stepping stone for him to ascend to the top. What makes Nadeem’s victory even more touching is the backdrop against which it was achieved.
Arshad Nadeem had proven himself as a medal contender long before Thursday, but still couldn’t get the support an athlete of his caliber deserved from his society and government. Since his performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – where he became the first ever Pakistani to qualify for the final of a track and field event in the Olympics – Nadeem was the one man Pakistan should have invested fully into. But still, it didn’t happen. And still, Arshad Nadeem kept making waves.
Following his fifth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics he went to clinch a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham— where he also became the first South Asian to throw over 90 meters.
He fought back from a serious elbow injury to win a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where he was just behind his arch-rival and friend, India’s Neeraj Chopra.
Ahead of the Paris Olympics, a knee injury hindered his preparation for the event, but after surgery in February, he steadily worked his way back and surpassed Chopra this time.
Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra have become game changers by elevating the status of athletics in their respective countries by clinching Olympic medals. Neeraj took gold in Tokyo, Arshad got the title in Paris. However, the treatment both get from their respective authorities are very different.
While Chopra has benefitted from comprehensive support from the Indian government, Arshad’s journey was always hindered by inadequate backing.
The Pakistan Sports Board’s claims of unwavering support can be easily rejected once the reality of Nadeem’s struggle comes to light. The claims add insult to injury, and underscore the sad reality that authorities in Pakistan do not realize their support was desperately insufficient compared to the backing provided to professional athletes from other nations.
Nevertheless, Arshad Nadeem’s gold medal is not just a milestone for Pakistan; it is a game changer moment which must guide the nation to realize how to better support and nurture its sporting talent.
Nadeem’s triumph is a call for the need to address shortcomings and ensure that future athletes receive the support they deserve.
His victory has bridged the distance between dreams and truth, it is the long, unwavering distance that hope sometimes travels despite all odds, and an inspiration to athletes in Pakistan and everywhere else.
- Faizan Lakhani is a sports journalist and Deputy Editor of sports at Geo News.
