- Nadeem leads competition after third round with 85.57m throw.
- President and PM congratulate Nadeem on splendid victory.
- Mian Channu celebrates Nadeem’s historic win with joy and sweets.
Pakistan’s javelin star Arshad Nadeem has again made the nation proud by winning the gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships final, finishing with a powerful throw of 86.40 metres in his final attempt.
Nadeem, who holds the Olympic record after a monstrous 92.97-metre throw at the Paris 2024 Olympics, delivered a performance just short of the Asian Championship record, which stands at 86.72 metres.
His consistent performance throughout the event, capped by this remarkable throw, secured him the top spot on the podium.
Sachin Yadav of India secured the silver medal with a best throw of 85.16 metres, while Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama earned bronze after reaching a mark of 83.75 metres.
The top Pakistani javelin thrower kicked off his campaign at the Asian Athletics Championships final with a confident first throw of 75.64 metres.
Fellow Pakistani athlete Yasir Sultan, who is the country’s second representative in the final, began with a throw of 70.53 metres, before significantly improving in his second attempt with an impressive 75.39 metres.
Arshad, meanwhile, improved his mark with a second throw of 76.60 metres, maintaining steady momentum.
In the third round, Yasir managed a slight improvement, throwing 75.50 metres. However, it was Arshad who truly raised the bar, launching a massive 85.57-metre throw—his best of the competition so far. This powerful effort catapulted him to the top of the group standings.
With that performance, Arshad Nadeem took the lead on the overall final leaderboard after the third attempt, outpacing his closest rivals and establishing himself as the frontrunner for the gold medal.
Yasir’s fourth attempt dropped to 72.92 metres, while Nadeem continued his consistency with another strong throw of 83.99 metres. At the end of the fourth round, Nadeem remained firmly in first place.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the athlete on the splendid victory as he continues to make the nation proud.
Nadeem’s hometown, Mian Channu, erupted in celebrations as news of his victory spread — bringing tears of joy and cheers from proud supporters. His family distributed sweets amid the sound of beating drums, marking the moment with jubilation.
Meanwhile, in the stadium, the national song “Dil Dil Pakistan” echoed through the air as Nadeem celebrated his triumph by offering a sajda (prostration) in gratitude to Allah.
The javelin ace had secured his spot in the final with an impressive first throw of 86.34 metres in Group A on Friday.
Nadeem has become the first Pakistani in over 50 years to win a gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships, marking Pakistan’s first gold since 1973 when the country last claimed top honors in javelin throw and 800 meters — won by Allah Dada and Muhammad Younis, respectively, during the event in the Philippines.
He is also Pakistan’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medalist and the nation’s first medalist in athletics at the Summer Games.
So far, he has won four golds, one silver, and four bronze medals in various events, including the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Islamic Solidarity Games, South Asian Games, and Asian U20 Championships.
