\ A 24-year-old Javelin thrower successfully clinched the Olympic ticket to Tokyo when he achieved a record 86.38 meters at Imam Reza Championship in Iran in June 2021. It is quite a rags-to-riches story that saw him rise from a simple family and make his way to the international level in the Pakistan team.
The Childhood and Discovery of the Javelin Throw
The first subject is Arshad Nadeem full name who is a professional athlete, javelin thrower born on February 15th, 1997 in Mian Channu in southern Punjab, Pakistan. He was born in a humble parentage, his father being a school teacher by profession. From this early age, Arshad could be described as an active kid who liked sports a lot. In school he began playing cricket and baseball for his school team. A particular day in the year 2011, when he was 14 years of age, he was discovered by, Muhammad Kashif, a local athletic trainer who observed his imposing figure and tall structure and offered him an opportunity to join field events. One day when Arshad was watching his favorite show on Geo, he saw a program where Coach Kashif recommended javelin throw and the rest, as they say, is history. He trained with Kashif’s help and in no time began entering and emerging victorious at regional and national junior championships.
Rise Through the Ranks
At this age, Arshad was also to establish new national records at junior tournaments and championships. In the year 2014 he participated in the National Junior Athletics Championship and won with a record throw of 75:11 in the U18 category. He was a renowned Under 16 athlete before he moved to Under 20 and he represented Kenya at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Eugene, USA but in 2015 he participated in the National Games for the first time in the senior level and clinched the national javelin title with a brilliant display that left the seniors in a state of shock. Arshad was called for the national athletics team when he was a young man of 18 years. National championships were his from 2015 to 2018 with the rider claiming four consecutive championships. He also made a record in the Pakistan Athletes by getting more than eighty meters in javelin throw.
The International Debut and the Subsequent Struggle
Arshad Nadeem competed internationally for the first time at the Second South Asian Games in India in 2016. He clinched gold by breaking his own national and South Asian Games record when the discus landed at 78.33m. This was the first time that Pakistan had clinched a gold in javelin throw in these multi-sport games. Arshad also earned a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth games; he ranked 5th in the category in strong competition. He went on practicing under Kashif with his college physical education University of Lahore at the same time.
In 2019, Arshad’s best throw was 80.75m during the throwing competition at the Islamic Solidarity Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan where he won silver. The following years were the pinnacle of Arshad’s career as he solidified himself as one of Asia’s best javelin throwers – capturing gold medals and championship record holder at the Imam Reza Athletics Championship with a throw of 81.52 meters and the National Games in Iran with a throw of 84.38 meters.
Glory of a Dreamt Olympic and Realized Olympic
After entering the senior scene at the age of teenager, and representing his country at the Olympics had always been Arshad’s dream. He nearly made it to Rio 2016 but never reached the particular standard they needed to achieve. Unyielding to the verdict, Arshad got prepared for the next Olympic cycle without any compromise.
This effort paid off when in 2021, Arshad Nadeem gave a great surprise to the athletics fraternity by throwing the javelin to a record throwing distance of 86.38m at the Imam Reza Championships in Iran. This throw was enough to meet the Olympic qualification mark; thus Arshad became the first and only Pakistani track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympics for merit. Overwhelmed with emotions, Arshad immediately got on his knees to offer thanks for the accomplishment that he had been able to achieve.
He then created another highlight reel moment by winning bronze at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics – the final which saw him throw a new Asian Record of 84.62m! Arshad became a national icon and has caused millions of youth back home to try their luck in sporting activities.
Net Worth and Awards
He also got Rs 30 million cash which was awarded equally by all provinces. Since the Olympic success, there have been some lucrative promotional deals signed which include Being Sports, Vega & Battle-Fit and it would be safe to assume that Arshad Nadeem has a net worth of approximately $3 million.
Arshad was the first Pakistani track & field athlete who won an Olympic medal and thereby, recorded a name in the history of Pakistan. He proudly bears the burden of 220 Million people’s aspirations for the Olympics & other international events on his sturdy frame.
Training Regimen and Diet
The extent of hard work and training that Arshad has put into javelin throw has seen him gain great achievements under the stewardship of Kashif. He said to the media that the regimen he takes is morning and evening training five days a week with an emphasis in the middle of the week on the abdominal and upper body. They involve training for weight, plyometric, sprints and technique work for the footballer Arshad. His favorite warm-up javelin throwing involves making between 8 to 10 throws with varying run up distances.
Another aspect of his fitness regime is diet, a factor that cannot be overlooked in anyone’s regimen. Arshad understands that as the level of training increases, the body requires more protein and therefore, he takes a lot of proteins complemented by complex carbohydrates. Arshad’s daily diet chart includes food items like chicken, fish, eggs, green vegetable, lentil, brown rice etc. As an athlete Arshad does not prefer junk foods to remain fit to fight.
Arshad Nadeem: How a Small-Town Javelin Thrower Achieved Olympic Success for Pakistan Arshad Nadeem, hailing from a small town in Pakistan, has defied the odds and secured remarkable success in the world of javelin throwing. Representing Pakistan on the international stage, Nadeem’s journey towards Olympic glory has captivated the nation. Through sheer determination and unwavering commitment, he has become an inspiration for aspiring athletes across the country. Please note that the image link provided cannot be displayed in plain text.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Arshad Nadeem is a great figure for the Pakistani youth in adopting sports as a professional career. The antagonist shows that anything can be accomplished through sheer determination and dedication. This year’s Olympic podium finisher Arshad is keen to break the 90 meter mark in javelin throw and prove to the world that Pakistanis too have sports genes in their body. His next goal is the Word Athletics Championship and Asian Games next year where he has the audacity to eye gold for PAKISTAN!
