Arshad Nadeem facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arshad Nadeem
PP OLY

Nadeem at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest
Personal information
Native name	ارشد ندیم
Full name	Arshad Nadeem
Born	(1997-01-02) 2 January 1997 (age 27) Mian Channu, Punjab, Pakistan
Employer	WAPDA
Height	1.92 m
Weight	95 kg
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Javelin throw
Coached by	Salman Iqbal Butt (Pak) Terseus Liebenberg (RSA)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	92.97 m (2024)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Pakistan Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 – – World Championships – 1 – Commonwealth Games 1 – – Asian Games – – 1 Islamic Solidarity Games 1 – 1 South Asian Games 1 – 1 Asian Junior Championships – – 1 Olympic Games Gold 2024 Paris Javelin throw World Championships Silver 2023 Budapest Javelin throw Commonwealth Games Gold 2022 Birmingham Javelin throw Islamic Solidarity Games Gold 2021 Konya Javelin throw Bronze 2017 Baku Javelin throw South Asian Games Gold 2019 Kathmandu Javelin throw Bronze 2016 Guwahati and Shillong Javelin throw Asian Games Bronze 2018 Jakarta Javelin throw Asian Junior Athletics Championships Bronze 2016 Ho Chi Minh City Javelin throw

Arshad Nadeem PP OLY (Punjabi / Urdu: ارشد ندیم; Punjabi pronunciation: [ˈɐrʃəd nɐˈdiːm]; born 2 January 1997) is a Pakistani javelin thrower renowned for his Olympic achievements. He captured global attention by winning the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the men's javelin throw, setting an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 metres (305.0 ft). This not only earned him the title of Olympic champion but also gave Pakistan its first Olympic gold in athletics in 32 years.

Arshad is also a Commonwealth Games champion and a silver medalist at the World Athletics Championships, showcasing his prowess across major international competitions. He has twice represented Pakistan as an Olympian and is the first from his country to qualify for a track and field final in both the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, breaking barriers and setting new benchmarks for future athletes.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Arshad set a new national and Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 m (295.9 ft), becoming the first athlete from South Asia to exceed the 90 m mark. Arshad represents the Water and Power Development Authority in the National Games of Pakistan, where he continues to dominate the javelin throw.

Early life

Arshad Nadeem was born into a Punjabi family in Mian Channu, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The family belongs to the Sukhera Rajput community. He is the third-oldest among eight siblings. Nadeem was an exceptionally versatile athlete from his early school years. Though he dabbled in all the sports on offer in his school — cricket, badminton, football and athletics — his passion was cricket, and he soon found himself playing it at district-level tape-ball tournaments. Upon entering grade seven in school, Nadeem caught the eye of Rasheed Ahmad Saqi during an athletics competition. Saqi had a history of developing sportspeople in the division, and began training Nadeem soon afterwards.

Before settling on javelin throw, Nadeem also pursued shot put and discus throw. Gold medals in the javelin throw in successive Punjab Youth Festivals and an inter-board meet propelled him on to the national stage, bringing offers from all the leading domestic departmental teams, including the athletics sections of the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA). It was his father, Muhammad Ashraf, who persuaded him to take up the sport of javelin throwing. Nadeem actually aspired to become a full-time cricketer, but he changed his mind and shifted his focus to athletics as he first picked up the javelin in 2015; Nadeem himself acknowledged that it was "the best thing that happened" to him.

Career

Early years (2015 – 2019)

Nadeem at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati

Arshad Nadeem started competing in javelin competitions in 2015. In 2016, he received a scholarship from World Athletics, which made him eligible to train at the IAAF High Performance Training Centre in Mauritius.

In February 2016, Nadeem won the bronze medal at the South Asian Games in Guwahati, India, setting a national record and his personal best at 78.33 m.

In June 2016, Nadeem won the bronze medal at the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championship, held in Ho Chi Minh City.

In May 2017, Nadeem won a bronze medal with a throw of 76.33 m at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku. In April 2018, he set a new personal best of 80.45 m in the qualification round of the Commonwealth Games, held in Gold Coast, Australia, and finished eighth. He also sustained a back injury following the end of 2018 Commonwealth Games. In August 2018, he won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he set a new personal best and national record of 80.75 m.

As the only Pakistani athlete at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Nadeem achieved a new personal best and national record of 81.52 m. In November 2019, Nadeem broke the national record again when he recorded an 83.65 m throw to win gold for WAPDA at the 33rd National Games in Peshawar. In December 2019, he won a gold medal with an 86.29 m games record throw at the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal.

Olympics and international success (2021 – present day)

2020 Tokyo Olympics

Nadeem made his debut at the Olympics, representing Pakistan at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were held in Tokyo in 2021. He became the first Pakistani track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympics. His father stated that Nadeem was not provided with a good training ground facility prior to competing at the Olympics. Nadeem trained in his home's courtyard and on the streets, and is believed to have not received any financial assistance from the Government of Pakistan after qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. Nadeem has openly spoken about the extreme difficulties of non-cricket sportspeople in Pakistan, who are largely ignored and neglected by sports officials.

On 4 August 2021, he qualified for the men's javelin throw event final of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He became the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any Olympic track and field event. He finished fifth in the men's javelin throw with a throw of 84.62 m.

2022 World Athletics Championships

From March 2022, until the start of the world championships, Nadeem trained in South Africa under the supervision of coach Terseus Liebenberg. The training was arranged by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP).

In July 2022, Nadeem participated in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, US, as the sole representative from Pakistan. He finished fifth in the final with a throw of 86.16 m.

2022 Commonwealth Games: Gold medal and Commonwealth Games record

Nadeem at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

On 7 August 2022, Nadeem won a gold medal for Pakistan at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Despite being injured, he set a games record with his throw of 90.18 m on his fifth attempt, surpassing world champion Anderson Peters' 88.64 m, becoming the first South Asian to surpass the 90 m mark. This was Pakistan's first athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games since 1962.

2022 Islamic Games: Gold medal

Five days later, on 12 August 2022, Nadeem won another gold medal for Pakistan at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games. He broke the games record with his throw of 88.55 m.

In November 2022, Nadeem won the gold medal in the javelin throw, with a toss of 81.21 m, at the 50th National Athletics Championship in Lahore.

Elbow and knee injury (Late 2022)

Nadeem left for the UK on 1 December 2022 to get treatment on his injured elbow and knee joint. The AFP arranged for him to be treated at Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital. After a ten-day rehabilitation and physiotherapy period, full recovery took a further four to six weeks.

2023 Pakistan National Games and knee injury

Nadeem participated in the National Games of Pakistan and won a gold medal. However, he suffered a knee injury, which ruled him out of the Asian Athletics Championships. AFP president Akram Sahi blamed WAPDA for forcing Nadeem to participate in the National Games.

2023 World Athletics Championships: Silver medal

Nadeem won a silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest with a throw of 87.82 m. This was Pakistan's first ever medal at the World Athletics Championships. He also secured qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympics during the event.

2024 Paris Diamond League

In July 2024, Nadeem finished in fourth place in the Paris Diamond League with a 84.21m throw on his fifth attempt.

2024 Paris Olympics: Gold medal and Olympic record

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Nadeem became the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event in Olympics history and to win an Olympic gold medal. He not only claimed the men's javelin throw title but set a new Olympic record of 92.97 m in the final. The previous Olympic record holder was Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen, who achieved 90.57 m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Nadeem's throw is the sixth-longest throw ever. With this medal, Nadeem won an Olympic medal for Pakistan after 32 years, the last medal being won at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. It was also Pakistan's first Olympic gold medal at the Olympics since 1984. Prior to the 2024 Olympics, Nadeem was considered as an underdog by many critics. His throw of 92.97 m was also confirmed by officials as the longest throw in the world by any male javelin thrower in the current season. He was only the fourth athlete to breach the 90 m mark in the javelin final in the history of Olympics, a feat he achieved twice, in his second and final throw.

Personal life

Arshad Nadeem is married and has a daughter and a son. He is a devout Muslim.

Nadeem describes himself as an introvert. His coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, a former national-level discus thrower, remembered him as a very respectful and obedient athlete who bowed his head as he listened to his coach's words. "He is Zen-like. He is quiet. He is focused, and no matter the setback, he does not let it linger. This is one of the most incredible things about Nadeem, and you cannot really teach it either," his coach said.

International competitions

NR−National record

GR−Games record

q−Qualification round

SB− Season's best

Representing {{ Pakistan}}

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
2016	South Asian Games	Guwahati, India	3	Javelin throw	78.33 m
	Asian Junior Athletics Championships	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	3	Javelin throw	73.40 m
	World U20 Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	30th (q)	Javelin throw	67.17 m
2017	Islamic Solidarity Games	Baku, Azerbaijan	3	Javelin throw	76.33 m
	Asian Championships	Bhubaneswar, India	7th	Javelin throw	78.00 m
2018	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Australia	8th	Javelin throw	76.02 m
	Asian Games	Jakarta, Indonesia	3	Javelin throw	80.75 m
2019	Asian Championships	Doha, Qatar	6th	Javelin throw	78.55 m
	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	16th (q)	Javelin throw	81.52 m NR
	South Asian Games	Kathmandu, Nepal	1	Javelin throw	86.29 m GR NR
2021	Imam Reza Cup	Mashhad, Iran	1	Javelin throw	86.38 m NR
	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	5th	Javelin throw	84.62 m
2022	World Championships	Eugene, Oregon, United States	5th	Javelin throw	86.16 m
	Commonwealth Games	Birmingham, England	1	Javelin throw	90.18 m GR NR
	Islamic Solidarity Games	Konya, Turkey	1	Javelin throw	88.55 m GR
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	2	Javelin throw	87.82 m SB
2024	Olympic Games	Paris, France	1	Javelin throw	92.97 m OR

Seasonal bests by year

Awards and recognition

He was presented a Pride of Performance Award in 2022 by the President of Pakistan.

See also

In Spanish: Arshad Nadeem para niños

• List of Pakistani records in athletics
• Athletics in Pakistan
• Pakistan at the Olympics
• Pakistan at the World Athletics Championships