Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem brought his country the first athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games since 1966, and a first javelin gold for the country since 1954.
Nadeem finished fifth at the World Championships last month after becoming the first Pakistani to qualify for the finals. He made a comeback from injury after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
When Nadeem came at the Common Wealth Games, he was still carrying the same elbow injury as a result of which the chances of securing a medal were very rare, specially when world champion Grenada’s Anderson Peters, Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott and former Commonwealth and world champion Julius Yego were also competing.
Against all the odds, without his coach and with his throwing elbow heavily taped due to injury, Arshad won the javelin throw final with a huge throw length of 90.18 meters.
In doing so Arshad became only the second Asian to cross that mark of 90 meters after Taiwan’s Chao-Tsun Cheng (91.36m).
Nadeem also broke the Games record of 88.75m by South African Marius Corbett that stood since 1998; brought Pakistan’s first athletics medal at the Games since 1966, and a first javelin gold for the country since 1954.
“Indeed, it is one of the greatest sports achievements in Pakistan’s history,” a sports enthusiast says. “He is a legend and has made the nation proud against all odds.”
