Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem creates history
Olympic javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem made history by winning the athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Sunday night. He was the first South Asian and Pakistani to ever do so.
The 25-year-old broke the competition’s record with his throw of 90.18 meters to win the gold medal, finishing ahead of Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who won the gold in the 2022 World Athletics Championship.
In his fifth attempt, Arshad accomplished the impossible after Peters had equalized his lead of 88.0m.
Despite having a soft tissue injury to his elbow that had persisted since before the Tokyo Olympics and another to his knee from a previous soft tissue trauma, Arshad started out strong. He was also competing without his own coach.
His first effort at the spear throw resulted in a distance of 86,81 meters, which was a personal best for him up to that point. However, Arshad’s fairy-tale performance at the games was just getting started.
The Mian Chunna athlete, Khanewal, didn’t appear to be content with anything less than the gold medal, and none of the other 12 competitors—aside from Peters—were even near to him.Arshad was only hungrier for the brilliance he felt he was capable of achieving after his second attempt was rejected. Arshad got the crowd involved by raising his hands and clapping as he watched them support his throw.
As he waited for his other competitors to take the turn, the young man—who is also a father of two—was observed pacing and praying. Arshad battled through his wounds because he was in the zone, most definitely spiritually. When he touched his tightly taped elbow, he appeared to be in discomfort and bolted in the 88.00m on the third try with 85.09.
Arshad has to get surgery on his elbow. “I watched for these things to occur. I patiently awaited the World Athletics Championship, the Commonwealth Games, and the Islamic Solidarity Games for Pakistan, but I didn’t compete in any of them. I decided against having the operation because these things are significant to me. Before traveling to Birmingham from Eugene, Oregon, where he finished fifth at the World Championship, Arshad had told The Express Tribune that he had “hurried through it so I could accomplish something for my nation.”
He kept his promise in the final, creating history with a throw of 90.18 meters in his 5th attempt that astounded the entire world and not just Pakistan and South Asia.
When Peters launched his spear at 85.50 meters, he was already crowned the victor.
In his sixth and last effort, Arshad threw at 81.29 meters.
According to Dr. Asad Abbas, Arshad’s doctor, the bronze medalist at the 2018 Asian Games is physically 90 to 95% better than he was a few weeks ago.
Read this before the CWG final: Arshad undeterred by knee and elbow injuries.
Compared to the final in Eugene, Oregon, Arshad appeared to be in better shape.
Earlier this year, Arshad spent two months training with Terseus Liebenberg in South Africa, but he then returned and resumed his preparation in Lahore, where he didn’t even have a dedicated gym but instead used Punjab University facilities with his trainer Salman Butt.
Arshad finished sixth in Tokyo in 2019 after being the first Pakistani to qualify for the Olympics’ athletics competition.
Pakistan finished the Commonwealth Games with two gold medals, three silver medals, and three bronze medals after winning his gold medal.
Weightlifter Muhammad Nooh Dastgir Butt previously won the gold medal in the +109kg category. He also broke several records during the competition, including the overall total with 173 kg, the snatch and clean and jerk with 232 kg, and the games record of 405 kg.
Zaman Anwar in the 125 kg freestyle competition, Muhammad Inam in the 86 kg competition, and Muhammad Sharif Tahir in the 74 kg competition all won silver medals.
The national athlete received congratulations from the Pakistani Army for winning the gold.
The Pakistan Armed Forces congratulate Arshad Nadeem for an exceptional performance at the Commonwealth Games and capturing the gold medal for Pakistan in the javelin throw, according to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Brilliant Arshad Nadeem, well done for making Pakistan proud, remarked the military’s media department.
For more blogs stay tuned on Avenue5 International.
Visit BinTariq GOC if you want to know more about us and Times Square & The Dunes Mall for our projects information.