Arshad Nadeem is a Pakistani track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. On 7 August 2022, he won a gold medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Pakistani to win a gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event at the Games. Additionally, he also became the first South Asian to cross the 90 meter mark.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Arshad Nadeem was born on Thursday, 2 January 1997 (age 26 years; as of 2023) in Mian Channu, Khanewal, Pakistan. Their zodiac sign is Capricorn. Nadeem spent his childhood watching and playing Nezha Baazi (tent pegging), a popular rural sport in Pakistan in which horsemen display their daring prowess. It was Nadeem’s father who was passionate about Neza Bazi and pressured him to take up the sport. Miyan Channu’s huge grounds, where Nadeem used to practice for Nezha Baazi, introduced him to various outdoor sports. He did his schooling from Government High School 102/15-L, Mian Channu. During his school days, he tried his hand at various sports which included cricket, badminton, football and athletics. Eventually, he developed a passion for cricket, which led him to play in district-level tape-ball tournaments. However, after a few years, Arshad had to choose between cricket and athletics. Nadeem took up athletics at the insistence of his father and elder brothers, both of whom were divisional level athletes. In an interview, he shared the dilemma of leaving cricket and said,
It was not easy to leave cricket, but it turned out to be the best decision of my life. My father was a labourer, we did not have the necessary resources or contacts to pursue cricket. PT of my school [physical training] Teachers Ajmal and Zafar took good care of me and helped me adjust to the change.”
Although initially he pursued shot-put, discus throw and javelin throw in athletics, he later abandoned discus throw and shot-put and started focusing only on javelin throw. Rasheed Ahmed Saki took Nadeem under his apprenticeship when he was in seventh grade. Apparently, Nadeem caught sight of Saki during an athletics competition; Rashid Ahmed Saki is known for the development of players in Pakistan. Eventually, Nadeem started competing as a javelin thrower in 2015. Subsequently, he won several medals at the Punjab Youth Festival and an Inter-Board Meet, receiving offers to represent the leading domestic athletics teams in Pakistan such as the Army, Air Force and Jal & Bijli. Development Authority (WAPDA). During the trials for the 2015 National Championships in Pakistan, Nadeem was included in the camp after Syed Fiaz Hussain Bukhari recognized his potential and became his permanent coach.
Arshad Nadeem with his coach Syed Fiaz Hussain Bukhari
When Nadeem broke the 70m barrier at the 2015 National Championships, he secured his place in the South Asian Games (SAG) 2016 team, meanwhile he also got a job with WAPDA.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx): 6′ 2″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
Arshad Nadeem belongs to a Muslim family.
parents and siblings
His father, Muhammad Ashraf, is a mason who works on contract basis. Nadeem has 4 brothers and he is the eldest among them. Like Nadeem, his younger brother is also a javelin thrower. The name of one of his brothers is Aleem.
Arshad Nadeem’s father
Arshad Nadeem with his mother and brother
Arshad Nadeem’s brother
Arshad Nadeem with his brother Aleem
wife and children
Arshad Nadeem is married and has a son.
Arshad Nadeem’s wife and son
medal
Sleep
- 2019 National Games (Peshawar) with a throw of 83.65
- 2019 South Asian Games (Kathmandu) with a throw of 86.29 meters (South Asian Games record and national record)
- 2021 Imam Raza Cup (Mashhad) with a throw of 86.38 meters (national record)
- 2022 Commonwealth Games (Birmingham) with a throw of 90.18 meters (Commonwealth Games record and national record)
Gold medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan (centre), silver medalist Anderson Peters of Grenada (left), and bronze medalist Julius Yego of Kenya at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Birmingham)
Brass
- 2016 South Asian Games (Guwahati) with a throw of 78.33 meters (national record)
India’s gold medalist Neeraj Chopra (centre), silver medalist DS Ranasinghe of Sri Lanka (left) and bronze medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan at the 2016 South Asian Games (Guwahati)
- 2016 Asian Junior Athletics Championships (Ho Chi Minh City) with a throw of 73.40 meters
- 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games (Baku) with a throw of 76.33 meters
Arshad Nadeem at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games (Baku)
- 2018 Asian Games (Jakarta) with a throw of 80.75 meters (national record)
Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra of India (centre) with silver medalist Qizhen Liu of China (left) and bronze medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan (right) at the 2018 Asian Games (Jakarta)
Facts/General Knowledge
- He was first introduced to his Indian counterpart Neeraj Chopra at SAG 2016, Guwahati. Then again, Neeraj himself, like Arshad, was an 18-year-old budding athlete. After this, a friendly rivalry began between the athletes which their fans witnessed in the following competitions. During the 2019 South Asian Games, Nadeem won the gold medal with a throw of 86.29 metres, breaking the national record and surpassing Chopra’s Games record by four metres, which he had set in 2016. In an interview after winning the gold medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020, Neeraj Chopra said that his javelin was swung by Nadeem before the final. However, this statement was blown out of proportion as many assumed that Nadeem was probably tampering with Neeraj’s spear. After this, Neeraj, through his Twitter account, appealed to everyone not to create unnecessary publicity, saying that athletes often use each other’s personal javelins.
- He was the only athlete to represent Pakistan at the 2019 World Athletics Championships (Doha). Although he broke the national record with a throw of 81.52 metres, he missed qualifying for the final.
- His performance of 86.29 meters at the 2019 South Asian Games earned him direct qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics (Tokyo) and he became the only athlete from Pakistan to qualify directly for the Olympics.
- The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) had sent Arshad on a two-month training period to Nanjing, China for Tokyo 2020, but the trip was cut short due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- At the Tokyo Olympics 2020, he became the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympic Games.
- Looking at Nadeem’s extraordinary performance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, his father recalled during an interview how Nadeem trained in the courtyard and streets of his home and did not receive any financial assistance from the Pakistan government after qualifying for the Olympics. Found. He also said that he had completely borne the expenses of sending Nadeem to Multan, Faisalabad and Lahore for practice.
- On 4 August 2021, he qualified for the final of the men’s javelin throw event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This made him the only track and field athlete from the country to qualify directly for the Olympics and the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympic Games.
- On 7 August 2022, he rose to prominence by becoming the first Pakistani to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the men’s javelin throw event. With this he also became the first South Asian to cross the 90 meter mark.
What a brilliant performance by Arshad Nadeem!
He gave Pakistan its first track and field gold in 60 years, setting an example with a new Games record.
Congratulations @NOCPakistan #CommonwealthGames2022 , #B2022 pic.twitter.com/6H5YlKxeLg
– Commonwealth Sport (@thecgf) 7 August 2022
- According to his father Muhammad Ashraf, Arshad Nadeem often watches Neeraj Chopra’s videos on his phone to take inspiration from his game.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn