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Who is Arshad Nadeem? All about javelin thrower who edged out Neeraj Chopra to win gold at Paris Olympics 2024
Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won gold medal in javelin throw at Paris Olympics 2024 as he made a new Olympic record of 92.97 meters. Here's all you need to know about the athlete!
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Arshad Nadeem won gold medal in javelin throw at Paris Olympics 2024
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Nadeem hails from from Punjab's Khanewal village in Pakistan
On Thursday, Arshad Nadeem made history by launching a javelin an impressive 92.97 meters, securing Pakistan's first individual gold medal at the Olympics. This throw not only set a new record for the largest in Olympic history but also placed him sixth overall. With this outstanding performance, Nadeem surpassed India's Neeraj Chopra to clinch the gold medal.
Nadeem's win marked Pakistan's first gold medal on Thursday. Furthermore, it was the nation's third medal overall, following its wins in boxing in Seoul in 1988 and wrestling in Rome in 1960.
When Nadeem requested a new javelin for training earlier this year, Neeraj Chopra championed his cause on social media, showcasing the two sportsmen's friendship. Despite the difficulties Nadeem has encountered, his career has advanced significantly since his debut.
Arshad Nadeem was born on 2nd January 1997 into a Punjabi family in Mian Channu, Pakistan province of Punjab. Even as a teenager, Arshad was a very adaptable athlete. He experimented with every sport offered at his school, including badminton, football, athletics, and cricket.
However, it was not an easy start. Nadeem, the third of seven siblings and the son of a construction worker, only got to eat meat once a year at Eid-al-Adha because there was only one breadwinner in the household. Before learning how to throw a javelin, Arshad used to play tape-ball cricket. Even at hard times, his uncle made sure he ate a lot of milk and ghee.
In 2015, Arshad Nadeem began participating in javelin throw competitions. As a result of his World Athletics scholarship, he was able to train at the IAAF High-Performance Training Centre in Mauritius in 2016. Nadeem earned the bronze medal at the Guwahati, India, South Asian Games in February 2016.
He became the first athlete from South Asia to ever clear the 90-meter mark, setting a new national and Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 meters at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. By taking home a silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, he made history as the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal.
Nadeem, an athlete from Punjab's Khanewal village in Pakistan, was the only one to have funding from the nation's sports governing body to travel to the Paris Olympics 2024. And he made sure to repay it with the gold win for his country.
