Liebenberg backs Arshad to rediscover his best form

South African coach says Olympic champion can overcome post-Paris dip

KARACHI:

South African coach Terseus Liebenberg believes Arshad Nadeem will regain his best form, describing the Olympic champion as a ‘champion of life’ and an inspirational role model as the Pakistani javelin thrower begins a training stint in South Africa.

Liebenberg said Arshad’s struggles since his record-breaking performance at the Paris Olympics were difficult to explain but insisted the 29-year-old possessed the mindset needed to return to the highest level.

“He has an incredibly strong mindset and I firmly believe that he will once again regain his best form,” Liebenberg told The Express Tribune from South Africa.

“He is not only a champion javelin thrower, but a champion of life, and a true inspirational role model.”

Arshad arrived in South Africa on Thursday and has already completed a few first training session with Liebenberg, who played an important role in the thrower’s development during his formative years before Paris Olympics.

The training camp comes at a crucial stage for Arshad, who is preparing for the World Ultimate Athletics Championship in Hungary from September 11-13 and the Asian Games in Japan from September 19 to October 4.

Arshad’s return to Liebenberg’s programme follows a significant dip in his performances after his historic triumph at the Paris Olympics, where he became Pakistan’s first individual Olympic champion with a spectacular 92.97-metre throw.

The throw not only secured gold but also set an Olympic record, establishing Arshad among the world’s elite javelin throwers.

Since then, however, his distances have been considerably below the Paris standard. While he has continued to win gold medals, including at the Islamic Games and Asian Championships, he has struggled to reproduce the consistency and distances that made his Olympic triumph so remarkable.

His most recent disappointment came at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where he finished ninth in the 12-man finals and failed to make the top eight after a poor opening phase of three throws.

The performances have prompted questions over whether Arshad has been affected by fitness issues or by the challenge of maintaining motivation after achieving the biggest prize in his sport.

Liebenberg said he did not have an immediate answer.

“That is a very difficult question to which I do not have the answers right now,” he said.

But he suggested that Arshad’s post-Olympic struggles could partly reflect the natural challenge of setting new targets after years of pursuing one overriding ambition.

“He persevered for many years to become Pakistan’s first-ever individual Olympic champion,” Liebenberg said. “That was his and Mr Butt’s, his coach, ultimate goal, and they succeeded in the most spectacular fashion.”

“After such an incredible feat it is just natural that he had to once again reset, refocus, set new goals and regain his hunger for success at the highest level.”

Liebenberg said he and Arshad had made a positive start in South Africa.

“We had a good training session today,” he said, adding that they would do their “utmost best” to get Arshad into the best possible shape for his upcoming competitions.

The coach also said he remained in daily contact with Arshad’s manager, Salman Butt, to ensure the athlete received the right preparation.

For Arshad, the South African camp represents an opportunity to rebuild confidence and form before two major competitions within a matter of weeks. After producing one of the greatest throws in Olympic history, the challenge now is to show that his best days are far from over.