Mian Channu’s javelin thrower hopeful despite odds

Arshad Nadeem becomes first athlete from Pakistan to book a place in final

KARACHI:

With each throw of javelin, mixed feelings of uncertainty, overwhelming pressure, and hope flooded young Arshad Nadeem’s mind – coupled with a profound realisation that he was also carrying a mountainous weight on his chest to fulfill the expectations of the country he represented.

Arshad became the first athlete from Pakistan to book his place in the Olympics final as he topped Group B of the javelin throw event with an 85.16m throw. The 24-year-old is among the top 12 javelin throwers, who will compete for the medals on Saturday in the final.

“With each throw, heat and pressure exacerbated. I cross-examined every thought and every feeling that occurred to my mind. I knew people had expectations from me and I needed to perform well”, Arshad told The Express Tribune, as he recounted the extraordinary moment as it unfolded.

Bereft of the resources and facilities that international athletes receive to perform at the top level, Arshad Is the ultimate underdog in the final but that has not dissuaded him as he continues to double down on his preparations with his coach Syed Fiaz Bokhari while staying in Pakistan.

The thrower from Mian Channu finished above Germany’s Julian Weber and Czech’s Jakub Vadlejch to win his group and a place in the medal round – a performance that had his coach standing up and applauding.

Arshad did not crash under pressure even when his chances at faring well dwindled.

“There was a lot of heat. The media was reporting that nine other athletes have not done well,” he said.

Arshad had only seen one event in the Olympics since his arrival in Tokyo on July 23, and that too was of his fellow track and field athlete Najma Parveen, who finished last in her 200m sprint.

“I completely understood the meaning that my performance should hold for me as well as for others. My first throw was a little shaky. The weather was not favourable either, and in fact, I felt it was the hottest since the day I arrived in Tokyo. I was sweaty. I feel my confidence was not all up there on my first throw,” he explained.

Arshad threw a 78.50m in his first attempt out of three that are given to the athletes. But the second throw was one of the most beautiful sights to behold in Pakistan’s sports history. He roared – he had made it to the finals.

Read: Pakistan’s last hope in Olympics, javelin thrower Arshad only has medal on his mind

“By the second throw my coach said that this is it, and I treated it like the final throw because I know if I failed in that, it will damage the second, therefore, the throw had to be on the mark for the place in the final. I did not want to leave it to the third, I can say, that was what I thought at the moment,” said Arshad.

He describes all of this as nerve-wracking, challenging and exhausting.

Nonetheless, he feels that it will all pay off on Saturday when he will take a medal for Pakistan. He trusts the prayers of Pakistanis will be supporting him.

“I will do my best, my target is to just throw the best I can, leave nothing to be desired on my part, the rest is indeed entirely on Allah because at the end of the day we can plan all we want but things may also not go our way,” the world’s 23rd ranked javelin thrower said.

“But I want to do my best, the target is just that.”

There is an ongoing debate about whether Arshad’s background enables him to secure the final victory. His familiarity with Tokyo’s weathers under which he will be playing has been questioned.

However, Arshad believes that being from Pakistan and the mercurial weather changes he has seen at home in Mian Channu, Khanewal or even Lahore have prepared him for that.

“I am not concerned whether the weather is going to be favourable for me. My sole focus is on the performance. In Pakistan, we have chilly nights and hot days all the time, or vice versa. So, I’m not trying to look at that,” said Arshad, sanguine that his hard work is enough.

While practicing at the Olympic village, Arshad also made new friends – Neeraj and Shivpal Singh.

“Yes we all have been training at the same place, and there have been exchanges of three to four really useful techniques too”.