Who is Arshad Nadeem? The Man Who Used Bamboo Sticks to Practice Javelin

Arshad Nadeem, 27, a Pakistani javelin thrower, has made sports history by becoming the first Pakistani athlete to win a gold medal in the javelin event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 6-foot-4-inch athlete trained for more than a decade and overcame numerous obstacles and challenges to achieve this remarkable feat. His dedication, hard work and passion for the sport have inspired many young athletes in Pakistan to pursue their dreams in athletics.

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Who is Arshad Nadeem?

Arshad Nadeem was born in a small town in Mianchanu, Pakistan on January 2, 1997. He was an all-round sports enthusiast who played everything from badminton to football in school, but his favourite was cricket, which he played till the district level cricket tournament.

The man who introduced Arshad to the javelin was Rashid Ahmed Saqi, who spent hours training Arshad how to use his elbow to throw the javelin with maximum power and accuracy.

His first throw was less than 60 meters before he set an Olympic record of 92.97 meters. At the WAPDA trials, he threw 65 meters and caught the attention of national coaches, who saw his potential.

Nadeem was a typical Pakistani village boy who loved sports, especially cricket and javelin. Despite challenges and setbacks, he persevered and eventually became the Olympic record holder in javelin.

Arshad Nadeem mentioned in the YouTube show Beyond the Throw hosted by Roha Nadeem that he once gave a bamboo stick to a village craftsman and instructed him to beat it into a javelin and then practice on the ground.

Overcoming Adversity: Arshad Nadeem’s Journey

Nadeem is not a man with a fortune in Pakistani Rupees or all the luxuries and amenities that many of his peers enjoy. He is an ordinary man from Punjab, Pakistan, belonging to a low-income family. His father is a mason who also moonlights as a Neza Bazi (tent peg) to make ends meet.

Arshad never dreamed of becoming a professional athlete until his brothers persuaded him to take athletics seriously. With their encouragement, he competed in various events such as discus and javelin in addition to school competitions.

He didn’t have much money to buy proper sports equipment, so his village rallied together to raise funds for him to buy the necessary gear.

Despite the financial difficulties, Arshad’s determination and hard work paid off and he eventually made it to the national sports team and represented Pakistan at international tournaments.

Year	competition	Venue	Location	event	notes
2016	South Asian Games	Guwahati, India	3rd place, Bronze medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	78.33 m
2016	Asian Youth Athletics Championships	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	3rd place, Bronze medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	73.40 m
2016	World U20 Championship	Bydgoszcz, Poland	Thirty (q)	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	67.17 m
2017	Islamic Solidarity Games	Baku, Azerbaijan	3rd place, Bronze medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	76.33 m
2017	Asian Championships	Bhubaneswar, India	seventh	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	78.00 m
2018	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Australia	eighth	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	76.02 m
2018	Asian Games	Jakarta, Indonesia	3rd place, Bronze medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	80.75 m
2019	Asian Championships	Doha, Qatar	sixth	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	78.55 m
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	Sixteenth (q)	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	81.52 meters (not measured)
2019	South Asian Games	Kathmandu, Nepal	First place, gold medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	86.29 mGR (unrated)
2021	Imam Reza Cup	Mashhad, Iran	First place, gold medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	86.38 meters (not measured)
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	fifth	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	84.62 m
2022	World Championships	Eugene, Oregon, USA	fifth	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	86.16 m
2022	Commonwealth Games	Birmingham, United Kingdom	First place, gold medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	90.18 m (Greece)(Non-Greece)
2022	Islamic Solidarity Games	Konya, Turkey	First place, gold medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	88.55 m (g)
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	2nd place, Silver Medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	87.82 m (single person)
2024	Olympic Games	Paris, France	First place, gold medal	See more : Optical Illusion: Can You Find the Bald Eagle in 12 Seconds? Javelin Throw	92.97 meters (Oregon)

Paris Olympics 2024: Neeraj Chopra’s mother praises Arshad Nadeem

On August 9, in a javelin event, Arshad Nadeem threw a javelin of 92.97 meters, setting an Olympic record and winning the gold medal for Pakistan. Also, Neeraj Chopra, who won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, won the silver medal in the same event with a score of 89.45 meters.

On this touching day, Neeraj Chopra’s mother Saroj Devi congratulated Arshad on his extraordinary achievement and expressed her pride in seeing both the athletes excel in their respective performances. She also mentioned, “Arshad Nadeem is our child too.”

The sportsmanship and friendship displayed between the two athletes exemplified the true spirit of the Olympic Games. This moment will be remembered in the history of athletics for years to come.

Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion