Who is Arshad Nadeem? Pakistan athlete who broke Neeraj Chopra’s dream with new Olympic record

New Delhi: Pakistan’s javelin ace Arshad Nadeem etched his name in the history books by becoming the nation’s first athlete to win an individual gold medal and also the first-ever athletics Olympic champion for the country, at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday. Participating in the men’s javelin throw final, Nadeem sent the spear to 92.97m in a jaw-dropping performance at the Stade de France.

Nadeem’s effort, which was the second of the six attempts, turned out to be a new Olympic record as he shattered the previous record of 90.57m by Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway, registered in the Beijing Games 2008. Nadeem was competing against some of the world’s best in the field including his good friend but fierce rival from across the border Neeraj Chopra, who was up to his gold medal defense.

At the biggest sporting stage on the planet, Nadeem made a name for himself by clinching the gold medal, pushing the defending champion Neeraj to a silver medal despite his season’s best performance of 89.45m. Two-time world champion Grenada’s Anderson Peters claimed the bronze medal with 88.54m. Neeraj and Nadeem qualified for the finals of the event with throws of 89.34m and 86.59m metre respectively in the qualifying round on Tuesday.

Not just once but he breached the 90 metre mark twice in the finals as he recorded a distance of 91.79 metres on his final try. With this, he became the first athlete to register two 90-metre throws in the final of an Olympics. In the javelin circuit, Nadeem has been doing well for quite some time. From a gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022 to the World Championship silver last year, his life journey has been exceptional, having also seen a time when he had to request the authorities to provide him with a new javelin to replace the worn-out old one.

Who is Arshad Nadeem?

Arshad Nadeem was born on January 2, 1997, into a Punjabi family in Mian Channu in the Khanewal district of the Punjab province, Pakistan. Out of the eight siblings, he is the third-oldest. Nadeem showed early signs of athleticism during his school years, being versatile on the field. He tried his hands at almost every game his school offered – cricket, badminton, football, and athletics but found his passion lies in cricket.

He was soon playing at district-level tape-ball tournaments until grade seven when he caught the eye of Rasheed Ahmad Saqi during an athletics competition. Saqi, known for his history of developing sportspersons in athletics, took Arshad under his wing soon afterward. But the art of javelin didn’t come as the first choice for him as he first pursued shot put and discus throw and ultimately shifted to javelin throw with a bit of persuasion from his father, Muhammad Ashraf as well to take up the sport.

He soon started shining in the sport, bagging gold medals in successive Punjab Youth Festivals and an inter-board meet which paved his path to the national stage and brought offers on the plate from all the top domestic athletics teams like the Army, Air Force, and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). His javelin journey has seen tough times due to a lack of resources and adequate facilities from the Pakistan government but his resilience got him to the grand stage.

Nadeem is married to Ayesha and has two children with her, a daughter and a son. He is a devoted Muslim and describes himself as an introvert who keeps it to himself and doesn’t boast many friends. His coach, Salman Fayyaz Butt, who accompanied him to Paris had earlier described him as a very respectful and obeying athlete and one who doesn’t let setbacks hamper his progress.

Current status

With his record 92.97 metres throw at the Paris Olympics, he has become the reigning Olympic champion in Men’s javelin throw. Having featured in two Olympic Games now, he became the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympics in Tokyo 2020 and the World Athletics Championships as well.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he established a new national and tournament record with a throw of 90.18m which got him a gold medal and also the label of first-ever athlete from South Asia to breach the 90m mark. In the following year at the World Athletics Championships, he became the first-ever Pakistani athlete to win a medal (silver). He continues to represent WAPDA in the domestic competition.

Awards and achievements

He was awarded the Pride of Performance Award by the president of Pakistan in 2023 and also received the Sports Icon Award during the 2023 Maldives Sports Award Gala. He was Pakistan’s flagbearer for the Olympic Games 2024 opening ceremony.

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 Arshad Nadeem scripted history at the Olympics with a sensational throw of 92.97m that not only brought him a gold medal but also made him immortal in the history books. Here’s a look at his journey to the grand stage.  Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today