Arshad Nadeem born on 2 January 1997 is a Pakistani javelin thrower. Nadeem made history by becoming the first Pakistani to win an individual Olympic Gold medal, claiming the Men’s Javelin, setting a new Olympic record of 92.97 meters.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he created a new national and Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18m and won a Gold medal with that he became the first-ever athlete from South Asia to breach the 90m mark. In 2023, he became the first ever Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, by winning a silver medal.
Here is a brief biography of Arshad Nadeem:
Arshad Nadeem’s Details
| Full name | Arshad Nadeem |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 January 1997 (age 27) Mian Channu, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Employer | WAPDA |
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Weight | 95 kg (209 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Javelin throw |
| Coached by | Salman Butt (Pak) Terseus Liebenberg (RSA) |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Highest world ranking | 4 (achieved on 27 August 2023) |
| Social Media | |
| Personal bests | 92.97 m (2024 Paris Olympics) |
Arshad Nadeem’s Early Life
Arshad Nadeem was born into a Punjabi Arain family in Mian Channu, Punjab, Pakistan. His Father’s Name is Muhammad Ashraf. Arshad comes from a modest family background. He is the third-oldest among eight siblings. His father is a mason. Arshad demonstrated remarkable versatility as an athlete during his early school years.
Although he tried his hand at all the sports available in his school—cricket, badminton, football, and athletics—his true passion was cricket, and he soon found himself playing in district-level tape-ball tournaments. Took up javelin in 2015 in Pakistan after pursuing a shot put and discus throw. His father Muhammad Ashraf persuaded him to take up the sport of javelin throw.
Arshad Nadeem Career
Arshad Nadeem started competing in javelin throw events 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. From there Arshad started performing consistently in national competitions, setting multiple records in the javelin throw.
South Asian Games: He won a gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games, in Guwahati, India. He set a national record and his personal best of 78.33 meters in the athletics event.
Asian Junior Athletics Championship: In June 2016, Nadeem won the bronze medal at the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championship held in Ho Chi Minh.
Commonwealth Games: Arshad competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. He set a new personal best of 80.45 meters in the qualification round of the javelin throw event and finished eighth at the Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia.
Asian Games: He won a bronze medal at the Asian Games held in August 2018 in Jakarta, where he set a new personal best and national record of 80.75m.
Tokyo Olympics 2020: Arshad Nadeem made history by becoming the first Pakistani athlete to qualify for the javelin throw final at the Olympics. He finished fifth in the men’s javelin throw event with a throw of 84.62 m.
World Athletics Championships 2022: Nadeem participated in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA. He finished 5th in the final with a throw of 86.16m
Commonwealth Games 2022:On 7 August 2022, he won a gold medal for Pakistan at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Nadeem made a game record with his throw of 90.18m on his fifth attempt, and he became the first-ever athlete from South Asia to breach the 90m mark.
World Athletics Championships: Nadeem won a silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest with a throw of 87.82m and qualified for the Olympics in 2024.
Paris Olympics 2024:Nadeem made history by becoming the first Pakistani to win an individual Olympic Gold medal, claiming the Men’s Javelin, setting a new Olympic record of 92.97 meters. Arshad’s Series: X, 92.97m, 88.72m, 79.40m, 84.87m, 91.79m.Arshad Nadeem became only the third man to throw two 90-plus throws in a single day after Johannes Vetter of Germany and Anderson Peters.
Medal List
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | South Asian Games | Guwahati, India |  | Javelin throw | 78.33 m |
| Asian Junior Athletics Championships | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | | Javelin throw | 73.40 m | |
| World U20 Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 30th (q) | Javelin throw | 67.17 m | |
| 2017 | Islamic Solidarity Games | Baku, Azerbaijan | | 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 | | 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 | |
| South Asian Games | Kathmandu, Nepal |  | Javelin throw | 86.29 m GR NR | |
| 2021 | Imam Reza Cup | Mashhad, Iran | | 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 | | Javelin throw | 90.18 m GR NR | |
| Islamic Solidarity Games | Konya, Turkey | | Javelin throw | 88.55 m GR | |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary |  | Javelin throw | 87.82 m SB |
Arshad Nadeem Family
Arshad Nadeem is married to Ayesha, the couple has two children, a daughter and a son. He is a devout Muslim.
Awards & Recognition
- Pride of Performance Award in 2022 by the President of Pakistan
- Sports Icon Award during the 2023 Maldives Sports Award Gala in Maldives (2023)
- Flagbearer for the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony (2024).
Challenges
Throughout his career, Arshad has faced challenges such as a lack of proper training facilities, financial constraints, and limited international exposure compared to his competitors from more developed countries. Following his massive achievement, Nadeem’s father spoke about his days of struggle and how the villagers and relatives funded his training.
“People have no idea how Arshad got to this place today. How his fellow villagers and relatives used to donate money so that he could travel to other cities for his training and events in his early days,”
he further added
“If my son can bring home an Olympic medal for Pakistan it would be the proudest moment for us and everyone in this village. If he wins a medal, it will be a triumph for everyone in our village and our country,”
Injuries
2023: A left knee injury at the National Games forced him to miss the Asian Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, and the 2022 Asian Games. In November, he pulled out of the National Games with a knee injury.
2022: Surgeries for previous nagging elbow and knee injuries in 2021 and early 2022. Returned to the international stage after almost a year of rehabilitation.
2018: Back injury suffered at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, but continued to compete and went on to finish eighth in the javelin final.
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