Arshad Nadeem wins Pakistan’s 1st Olympics medal in 32 years: Who is javelin thrower who edged past Neeraj Chopra

India’s star athlete Neeraj Chopra added another Olympic medal to the country’s — and his own — tally after securing a silver in the men’s javelin throw final at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. While the Olympic champion from Tokyo was chasing a repeat gold, a formidable challenge emerged in the form of Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who clinched the top spot with a record-breaking performance.

It was a historic moment for Pakistani sports. The 27-year-old Arshad Nadeem not only secured the top spot but also shattered the Olympic record with a monumental throw of 92.97 meters.

Here’s everything you need to know about Arshad Nadeem:

Arshad Nadeem broke a host of records to win gold

Arshad Nadeem’s triumph marks Pakistan’s first-ever individual gold medal at the Olympics. Their men’s hockey team had won three golds in the past. But the last of these golds came in Los Angeles 1984, 40 years ago! This is also Pakistan’s first medal at the Olympics in 32 years.

Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan celebrates winning gold and setting a new Olympic record. (Reuters)

Arshad Nadeem’s gold is also Pakistan’s first-ever track and field medal at the Olympics. His exceptional performance on Thursday included three of the four best throws of the night. Arshad Nadeem also became only the fourth athlete to cross the 90m mark in the men’s javelin throw event at the Olympic Games. He broke the Olympics record with his gold winning throw of 92.97m. But it must be noted that Arshad Nadeem registered two throws that went past the previous Olympic record of 90.57 meters, held by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen since the Beijing Games (his second best throw on the night was a monster 91.79 metres throw with his final attempt).

His father is a mason by profession

Arshad Nadeem’s humble beginnings have roots in the small town of Mian Channu in Pakistan’s Punjab.

The journey to Olympic gold for javelin sensation Arshad Nadeem was paved with sacrifice and determination. His father, a humble mason, toiled tirelessly to provide for his family, including ensuring Arshad received essential nutrients like milk and ghee for his development.

(left) Arshad Nadeem with his parents at his village Mian Chanu in Pakistan’s Punjab province; Arshad Nadeem celebrates after his second attempt during the men’s javelin throw final. (Special Arrangement | PTI)

Despite earning a meager Pakistani Rupees 400-500 a day, Arshad’s father prioritized his son’s well-being, recognizing his potential. Nadeem’s father aspired for his son to lead a life far removed from the hardships of manual labor.

“I did not want him to work like me,” Arshad Nadeem’s father Muhammad Ashraf had told The Indian Express’ Nitin Sharma in 2022.

How Arshad Nadeem started playing sport

Arshad Nadeem taking up javelin had a lot to do with his father’s passion for Pakistan’s very popular rural sport Nezabazi — tent pegging. Like most men in their town, Ashraf, after a tiring day’s work, would head to the ground to watch horsemen show their daredevilry. His son too would accompany him. On his father’s insistence, Arshad Nadeem would take up Nezabazi and would train every day. This would make the young boy a regular at the town’s sprawling grounds and expose him to different outdoor sports.

Just before Arshad Nadeem claimed gold at the Paris Olympics, his father told The Indian Express’s Nitin Sharma, “Around 2010, Arshad asked me to bring a cricket bat and ball for him.” It was at the village ground that a young Arshad Nadeem would start playing cricket before he was persuaded into athletics by two of his brothers. Arshad Nadeem would try his hand at shot put, discus throw as well hammer throw and long jump at the village school.

A young Arshad Nadeem with his coach Syed Hussain Bukhari in 2016. (Special Arrangement)

Arshad Nadeem would also switch to playing tape-ball cricket but it was a school athletics event where the tall youngster’s javelin throw talent was identified. Under coach Rasheed Ahmad Saqi that Arshad Nadeem would train to throw the spear.

Arshad Nadeem’s recent struggles to get a javelin

Earlier this year, Arshad Nadeem, who had finished second behind Neeraj Chopra at the Budapest World Championships, was quoted by the Pakistani media as saying that he had been struggling to get an international standard javelin for many years and had been using the same one for the “past seven to eight years.”

“It has now got to a stage where my javelin is damaged and I have asked the national federation and my coach to do something about it before the Paris Olympics. When I started off in 2015, competing in international events I got this javelin … for an international athlete aiming to win a medal in the Olympic Games, you need proper equipment and training facilities,” Arshad Nadeem had reportedly said.

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Reacting to this, Neeraj Chopra had told SAI Media: “It can’t be that Arshad Nadeem doesn’t have the means to buy a javelin. He is a champion and must be doing some brand endorsements. I reckon he has earned a bit of money too. But having said that, his government can look at Arshad Nadeem’s needs and support him just like how our government is doing. Additionally, Arshad Nadeem is a top javelin thrower and I believe that the javelin makers will be more than happy to sponsor him and provide what he wants. This is a piece of advice from my side,” said Neeraj Chopra.

Arshad Nadeem vs Neeraj Chopra

The Paris Olympics final is the first time in 10 competitions where Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem have competed, that the Pakistani javelin thrower has finished ahead of the Indian.

At the Tokyo Olympics, where Neeraj Chopra had claimed gold, Arshad Nadeem had ended up fifth.

Here’s a table of their head-to-head records:

Neeraj Chopra vs Arshad Nadeem: Personal best throws

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