This is the life journey of a small village boy Arshad Nadeem bearing all the difficulties who made his way to the Olympics final. Arshad Nadeem is the first man in the history of Pakistan who has won the individual first place in the Olympics. After a long period, Arshad succeeded in bringing the gold medal of the Olympics to Pakistan.
In this article, I will discuss life struggles, achievements, sponsors, the Olympics javelin final, and more. So, let’s start the article!
Early Life of Arshad Nadeem
He was born in 1997 in Pakistan. His hometown is Chak no 101 Mian Channu, Pakistan. Arshad is at the third number out of the eight children. He got married and is the father of two toddlers. Besides, he does not have a strong family background. They made javelin from the wood but these hardships did not stop him from achieving his dream. At first, he was a fan of cricket but soon he realized his talent.After training on his own, he soon joined the Wapda sports club. Where he started training with other fellows.
Struggles of Olympic Champion Arshad
Arshad had to bear financial instability as his father was the only provider of the family. His village lacked all kinds of facilities required for the practice. He started training at Wapda Sports Club. Arshad had no money to buy Javelin because of his financial condition. He was struggling to meet the necessities of life.
Besides these financial challenges, Arshad had also gone through elbow surgeries in 2022. When everyone thought he was not physically fit for the Olympics, he proved everyone wrong by winning first place in the Olympics. He had to struggle to achieve his dream because he had to support a large family.
Notable Achievements
Arshad started his Javelin career in 2015. After a year he got a scholarship from the World Athletics because of his strong throw. Then, he participated in the “Asian Junior Athletic Championship”. In 2018, Arshad set his own highest record with an 80.65 m javelin throw. In the Asian Games, he got the third rank. Besides, he got 1st position in the Commonwealth Games. His very first teacher is Mr Rashid Ahmad Saqi whom he considered as his spiritual teacher. Later, Salman Iqbal Butt coached this champion.
World Athletics Championship
AFP sponsored the training of Arshad Nadeem in South Africa. Before his training, he always practiced with a rusted javelin. After returning from South Africa he had three international Javelins with him. He was the 5th rank at the “World Athletics Championship”. And, then started participating in the different international competitions of the Javelin throw.
Olympics 2024
Arshad Nadeem participated in the Olympic games two times. First time in 2020, Tokyo Olympics. In 2024, Arshad participated in the Javelin throw. But then the great happened, Arshad Nadeem broke the Olympics javelin throw record that is 90.57m and made his Olympics record that is 92.97m in his 6th throw. He got a gold medal in the javelin throw and Neeraj Chopra got the silver medal. Now, Arshad Nadeem wants to make a new record of 95m in the following years. He said the 8th of August was his day he knew he could do a lot better.
Who Sponsored Arshad in the Olympics?
Out of the seven athletes of Pakistan, Arshad was the only one whose travel tickets were sponsored by the government. His friends, family, and neighbors arranged some money for his trip. Besides, the Pakistani “ Neza” Javelin brand also provided money worth almost 3 million In one of his interviews, he said that his father is his only sponsor. As his father is the only person who believed and supported him in his worst time.
Why is this Gold Medal so Important for Pakistan?
This medal is of great importance for Pakistan because Pakistan has not got any gold medal in these 40 years. Pakistan won 4 first places in the Olympic games. 3 gold medals were won by the Hockey team and the 4th medal was won by Arshad. Only Arshad Nadeem and Mohammad Bashir won the individual medals in Pakistani history.
NationWide Celebrations
Parents of Arshad and the Pakistani Nation were praying for Arshad to win a gold medal. Almost every Pakistani was watching the live telecast of the Javelin throw game. It was a very proud moment for the Pakistani nation. Everyone was paying for Arshad Nadeem and then the great part came. Arshad broke the old Olympic record and set a new record for the javelin throw of 92.97m. Everyone was celebrating his success, and fireworks lit up the whole sky. It was a life-changing moment for Arshad Nadeem.
Olympic Champion Arshad Reward Money
Besides the gold medal, he got a cash prize of $50,000, Arshad also received cash prizes. The CM of Pakistan awarded 100 million PKR. Besides, the Mayor of Karachi gave 50 million PKR, and the Sindh government gifted 2 million PKR to Arshad. Besides, the Government of Pakistan decided to award Hilal-e-Imtiaz to Arshad.
Conclusion
Arshad Nadeem is a pride of Pakistan. In the Olympics, he won the Javelin throw game and won a gold medal. After almost forty years Arshad brought a gold medal for Pakistan. He belonged to a poor household so he had to work really hard to achieve his dream. He practiced for the different javelin competitions with a rusted javelin as he had no cash to buy a professional Javelin.
Soon, the AFP sends Arshad to an international country for Javelin training. Besides, he played well in the international javelin games. The Pakistani government provided the flight expenses for the Olympics. On 8th August, He broke the old record and won the javelin throw final. The entire nation celebrated the great victory of Arshad and welcomed him with open arms.
