Arshad Nadeem facts for kids

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Arshad Nadeem
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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 28) 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 Terseus Liebenberg
Achievements and titles
World finals	2023
Regional finals	2019 2018 2016
Olympic finals	2024
Commonwealth finals	2022
Highest world ranking	5 (weeks: 24)
Personal best(s)	92.97 m OR AR (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 U20 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 U20 Championships Bronze 2016 Ho Chi Minh City Javelin throw

Arshad Nadeem (born January 2, 1997) is a famous Pakistani javelin thrower. He is the current Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion. He also won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championship.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics, he threw the javelin 92.97 metres (305.0 ft). This throw set a new Olympic record and Asian record. It is also one of the longest throws ever recorded by any javelin athlete.

Arshad Nadeem is the first Pakistani to reach the final of any track and field event at both the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he broke the national and Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 m (295.9 ft). He was the first athlete from South Asia to throw over 90 meters. In 2023, he became the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships.

Early Life and Start in Sports

Arshad Nadeem was born in Mian Channu, a town in the Punjab province of Pakistan. He is the third of eight children in his family. From a young age, Arshad was a talented athlete. He tried many sports at school, including cricket, badminton, and football.

His biggest passion was cricket, and he even played at a district level. When he was in seventh grade, a sports coach named Rasheed Ahmad Saqi noticed his talent during an athletics competition. Saqi, who had helped many athletes before, started training Arshad.

Before focusing on javelin, Arshad also tried shot put and discus throw. He won gold medals in javelin at youth festivals, which helped him get noticed nationally. His father, Muhammad Ashraf, encouraged him to choose javelin throwing. Arshad decided to focus on athletics in 2015, which he later called "the best thing that happened" to him.

Arshad's Amazing Career

Early Years (2015 – 2019)

Nadeem at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati

Arshad Nadeem began competing in javelin in 2015. In 2016, he received a special scholarship from World Athletics. This allowed him to train at a high-performance center in Mauritius.

In February 2016, Arshad won a bronze medal at the 2016 South Asian Games in India. He set a new national record with a throw of 78.33 meters. Later that year, he won another bronze medal at the 2016 Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Vietnam.

In May 2017, Arshad won a bronze medal at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku. In April 2018, he threw 80.45 meters at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, finishing eighth. He also got a back injury after these games. In August 2018, he won a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. Here, he set a new personal best and national record of 80.75 meters.

At the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Qatar, Arshad set another personal best and national record of 81.52 meters. In November 2019, he broke the national record again with an 83.65-meter throw at the National Games in Pakistan. In December 2019, he won a gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal, setting a new games record of 86.29 meters.

Olympic and International Success (2021 – Present)

2020 Tokyo Olympics

Arshad Nadeem made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. He was the first Pakistani track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympics. Before the Olympics, Arshad faced challenges with training facilities and financial support. He often trained in his home's courtyard or on the streets.

On August 4, 2021, he made history by qualifying for the men's javelin throw final. He was the first Pakistani to reach an Olympic track and field final. He finished fifth in the final with a throw of 84.62 meters.

2022 World Athletics Championships

From March 2022, Arshad trained in South Africa with coach Terseus Liebenberg. This training was arranged by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan.

In July 2022, Arshad competed at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in the US. He was the only athlete representing Pakistan. He finished fifth in the final with a throw of 86.16 meters.

2022 Commonwealth Games: Gold Medal and Record

Nadeem at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

On August 7, 2022, Arshad Nadeem won a gold medal for Pakistan at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Even with an injury, he set a new games record with his throw of 90.18 meters on his fifth attempt. This made him the first South Asian athlete to throw over 90 meters. It was also Pakistan's first athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games since 1962.

2022 Islamic Games: Gold Medal

Just five days later, on August 12, 2022, Arshad won another gold medal for Pakistan. This was at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games. He broke the games record again with a throw of 88.55 meters.

In November 2022, Arshad won gold at the 50th National Athletics Championship in Lahore with a throw of 81.21 meters.

Injuries and Recovery

In late 2022, Arshad Nadeem traveled to the UK for treatment on his injured elbow and knee. He received care at Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital. After a period of rehabilitation, he made a full recovery.

In May 2023, Arshad competed in the 2023 National Games of Pakistan. He won a gold medal with a throw of 78.02 meters. However, he got another knee injury, which prevented him from competing in the Asian Athletics Championships.

2023 World Athletics Championships: Silver Medal

Arshad Nadeem won a silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. His throw was 87.82 meters. This was Pakistan's first-ever medal at the World Athletics Championships. This achievement also helped him qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

2024 Paris Diamond League

In July 2024, Arshad finished fourth at the Paris Diamond League with a throw of 84.21 meters.

2024 Paris Olympics: Gold Medal and Olympic Record

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Arshad Nadeem made history again. He became the first Pakistani to win an Olympic medal in Athletics. He won an Olympic gold medal, making him the first Pakistani athlete to win gold in an individual sport.

He not only won the men's javelin throw title but also set a new Olympic record of 92.97 meters in the final. This broke the previous record set in 2008. Arshad's throw is the sixth-longest throw ever recorded by any javelin athlete. He won Pakistan’s first Olympic medal since 1992 and their first Olympic gold medal since 1984. His throw of 92.97 meters was also the longest throw in the world by any male javelin thrower in the 2024 season. He was one of only four athletes in Olympic history to throw over 90 meters in the javelin final, a feat he achieved twice in Paris.

On August 11, 2024, Arshad Nadeem was honored with a parade in Lahore to celebrate his amazing achievement.

Personal Life

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

Arshad describes himself as a quiet person. His coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, says Arshad is very respectful and focused. His coach noted that Arshad doesn't let setbacks bother him, which is a rare and incredible quality.

International Competitions

AR–Area Record

OR–Olympic Record

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

Seasonal Bests by Year

Awards and Recognition

Ribbon	Decoration	Country	Year
	Pride of Performance	Pakistan	2022
	Hilal-i-Imtiaz		2024

He received a Pride of Performance Award in 2022 from the President of Pakistan.

In August 2024, he was given the Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan. This was for winning the country's first Olympic gold medal in 40 years at the 2024 Summer Olympics. A special postage stamp with Arshad Nadeem's image was also released to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day. The Capital Development Authority in Islamabad decided to rename a road after Arshad Nadeem to honor him.

See Also

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