Arshad Nadeem sets sights on Gold at Asian Athletics Championship

LAHORE: Olympian and gold medalist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem is in full swing with preparations for his first major international outing since the Paris Olympics — the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship, scheduled to take place in Korea from May 27 to 31 this year.

Training rigorously at the Punjab Stadium in Lahore, Arshad expressed confidence and clarity about his goals. He emphasised that his competition is not with others, but with himself.

"I have been working hard for the past five months. This is the first major event after the Olympics. The Asian Championship will be held in Korea from May 27 to 31 and my event is on May 31," Arshad said.

I do not compete with anyone else — my competition is with Arshad Nadeem himself. I have to give my best. Whenever I perform at my best in any event, I am in a position to win a gold medal," he added.

Looking beyond the Asian Championship, Arshad revealed his long-term aspirations to dominate multiple international events.

"My goal is to win gold medals in the events where I have not yet — the World Championship, the Asian Championship, the Asian Games, and the Diamond Leagues. I also aim to participate in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. A year before that, my full focus will be on the Olympics. Until then, my attention will be on the other events taking place in the meantime," he added.

His coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, echoed his optimism, affirming that Arshad's training progress has been consistent and promising.

"The results during the five to six months of training have been encouraging, and now the goal is to maintain them," Salman noted.

Butt also emphasised the mindset with which the team approaches competitions.

"There is nothing we need to prove. For us, this is just another event. We do not consider any event small or big — we give equal importance to all and always strive to perform well. Pressure is a good thing. Without pressure, you cannot perform. Additional pressure often pushes you to deliver extraordinary performances," Coach explained.

He concluded by stating that Arshad will take part in two to three international events before the World Championship in September to build strong momentum.

It is pertinent to mention that Arshad Nadeem is Pakistan's first-ever individual Olympic gold medalist and the nation's first medallist in athletics at the Summer Games. He won the Gold Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a jaw dropping record of 92.97m.

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.