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Arshad Nadeem

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Arshad Nadeem
PP OLY
Arshad Nadeem looking up with his hands together in celebration. He is a man in his late 20s with short hair and no facial hair wearing a sports jersey.
Nadeem at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest
Personal information
Native nameارشد ندیم
Full nameArshad Nadeem
Born (1997-01-02) 2 January 1997 (age 27)
Mian Channu, Punjab, Pakistan[1]
EmployerWAPDA
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Weight95 kg (209 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventJavelin throw
Coached bySalman Iqbal Butt (Pak) Terseus Liebenberg (RSA)
Achievements and titles
Personal best92.97 m (2024)[1]
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Pakistan
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 – –
World Championships – 1 –
Commonwealth Games 1 – –
Asian Games – – 1
Islamic Solidarity Games 1 – 1
South Asian Games 1 – 1
Asian Junior Championships – – 1
Total 4 1 4
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Javelin throw
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Budapest Javelin throw
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham Javelin throw
Islamic Solidarity Games
Gold medal – first place 2021 Konya Javelin throw
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Baku Javelin throw
South Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2019 Kathmandu Javelin throw
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Guwahati and Shillong Javelin throw
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Jakarta Javelin throw
Asian Junior Athletics Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Ho Chi Minh City Javelin throw

Arshad Nadeem PP OLY (Punjabi / Urdu: ارشد ندیم; Punjabi pronunciation: [ˈɐrʃəd nɐˈdiːm]; born 2 January 1997) is a Pakistani javelin thrower.[1] He is the reigning Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion. He is also the current silver medalist in the World Athletics Championship. He set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 metres (305.0 ft) at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

He is a two-time 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 set a new national and Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 m (295.9 ft) becoming the first athlete from South Asia to breach the 90 m mark.[6] In the 2023 World Athletics Championships, he became the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, a silver.[7] He represents the Water and Power Development Authority in the National Games of Pakistan.

Early life

Arshad Nadeem was born into a Punjabi family in Mian Channu, in the Punjab province of Pakistan.[8] He is the third-oldest among eight siblings.[8] Nadeem 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, Nadeem caught the eye of Rasheed Ahmad Saqi during an athletics competition. Saqi had a history of developing sportspeople in the division, and began training Nadeem soon afterwards.[10][11]

Before settling on javelin throw, Nadeem also pursued shot put and discus throw. Gold medals in the 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 departmental teams, including the athletics sections of the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA).[10] It was his father, Muhammad Ashraf, who persuaded him to take up the sport of javelin throwing.[12] Nadeem actually aspired to become a full-time cricketer, but he changed his mind and shifted his focus to athletics as he first picked up the javelin in 2015; Nadeem himself acknowledged that it was "the best thing that happened" to him.[13]

Career

Early years (2015 – 2019)

Nadeem at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati

Arshad Nadeem started competing in javelin competitions 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, setting a national record and his personal best at 78.33 m.[14]

In June 2016, Nadeem won the bronze medal at the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championship, held in Ho Chi Minh City.[15]

In May 2017, Nadeem won a bronze medal with a throw of 76.33 m at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku.[16] In April 2018, he set a new personal best of 80.45 m in the qualification round of the Commonwealth Games,[17] held in Gold Coast, Australia, and finished eighth.[18] 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 80.75 m.[19]

As the only Pakistani athlete at the 2019 World Athletics Championships[20] in Doha, Qatar, Nadeem achieved a new personal best and national record of 81.52 m.[21] In November 2019, Nadeem broke the national record again when he recorded an 83.65 m throw to win gold for WAPDA at the 33rd National Games in Peshawar.[22] In December 2019, he won a gold medal with an 86.29 m games record throw at the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal.[23]

Olympics and international success (2021 – present day)

2020 Tokyo Olympics

Nadeem made his debut at the Olympics, representing Pakistan at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were held in Tokyo in 2021. He became the first Pakistani track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympics.[24][25] His father stated that Nadeem was not provided with a good training ground facility prior to competing at the Olympics.[26] Nadeem trained in his home's courtyard and on the streets, and is believed to have not received any financial assistance from the Government of Pakistan after qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.[12] Nadeem has openly spoken about the extreme difficulties of non-cricket sportspeople in Pakistan, who are largely ignored and neglected by sports officials.

On 4 August 2021, he qualified for the men's javelin throw event final of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[27][28] He became the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any Olympic track and field event.[29][30] He finished fifth in the men's javelin throw with a throw of 84.62 m.[31][32]

2022 World Athletics Championships

From March 2022, until the start of the world championships, Nadeem trained in South Africa under the supervision of coach Terseus Liebenberg.[33] The training was arranged by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP).[34][35]

In July 2022, Nadeem participated in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, US, as the sole representative from Pakistan. He finished fifth in the final with a throw of 86.16 m.[36]

2022 Commonwealth Games: Gold medal and Commonwealth Games record

Nadeem at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

On 7 August 2022, Nadeem won a gold medal for Pakistan at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Despite being injured, he set a games record with his throw of 90.18 m on his fifth attempt, surpassing world champion Anderson Peters' 88.64 m, becoming the first South Asian to surpass the 90 m mark.[6][37] This was Pakistan's first athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games since 1962.[38]

2022 Islamic Games: Gold medal

Five days later, on 12 August 2022, Nadeem won another gold medal for Pakistan at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games. He broke the games record with his throw of 88.55 m.[39]

In November 2022, Nadeem won the gold medal in the javelin throw, with a toss of 81.21 m, at the 50th National Athletics Championship in Lahore.[40]

Elbow and knee injury (Late 2022)

Nadeem left for the UK on 1 December 2022 to get treatment on his injured elbow and knee joint. The AFP arranged for him to be treated at Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital. After a ten-day rehabilitation and physiotherapy period, full recovery took a further four to six weeks.[41]

2023 Pakistan National Games and knee injury

Nadeem participated in the National Games of Pakistan and won a gold medal. However, he suffered a knee injury, which ruled him out of the Asian Athletics Championships. AFP president Akram Sahi blamed WAPDA for forcing Nadeem to participate in the National Games.[42][43]

2023 World Athletics Championships: Silver medal

Nadeem won a silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest with a throw of 87.82 m. This was Pakistan's first ever medal at the World Athletics Championships.[44] He also secured qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympics during the event.[45]

2024 Paris Diamond League

In July 2024, Nadeem finished in fourth place in the Paris Diamond League with a 84.21m throw on his fifth attempt.[46]

2024 Paris Olympics: Gold medal and Olympic record

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Nadeem became the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event in Olympics history and to win an Olympic gold medal.[47] He not only claimed the men's javelin throw title but set a new Olympic record of 92.97 m in the final.[48] The previous Olympic record holder was Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen, who achieved 90.57 m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[49] Nadeem's throw is the sixth-longest throw ever.[50] With this medal, Nadeem won an Olympic medal for Pakistan after 32 years, the last medal being won at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. It was also Pakistan's first Olympic gold medal at the Olympics since 1984.[51] Prior to the 2024 Olympics, Nadeem was considered as an underdog by many critics.[13] His throw of 92.97 m was also confirmed by officials as the longest throw in the world by any male javelin thrower in the current season. He was only the fourth athlete to breach the 90 m mark in the javelin final in the history of Olympics, a feat he achieved twice, in his second and final throw.[52]

Personal life

Arshad Nadeem is married and has a daughter and a son. He is a devout Muslim.[53]

Nadeem describes himself as an introvert.[3] His coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, a former national-level discus thrower, remembered him as a very respectful and obedient athlete who bowed his head as he listened to 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.[3]

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 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Javelin throw 78.33 m
Asian Junior Athletics Championships Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Javelin throw 73.40 m
World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 30th (q) Javelin throw 67.17 m
2017 Islamic Solidarity Games Baku, Azerbaijan 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 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 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 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 1st place, gold medalist(s) Javelin throw 86.29 m GR NR
2021 Imam Reza Cup Mashhad, Iran 1st place, gold medalist(s) 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 1st place, gold medalist(s) Javelin throw 90.18 m GR NR
Islamic Solidarity Games Konya, Turkey 1st place, gold medalist(s) Javelin throw 88.55 m GR
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Javelin throw 87.82 m SB
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 1st place, gold medalist(s) 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 (OR) Paris, France 8 August

Awards and recognition

He was presented a Pride of Performance Award in 2022 by the President of Pakistan.[54]

See also

References

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