Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem has expressed frustration over broken promises made following his historic win at the Paris Olympics last year. Despite clinching Pakistan’s first-ever gold medal in track and field, Nadeem revealed that several of the announced rewards, particularly land plots, have yet to be fulfilled.
Speaking to Geo TV, the athlete said, “Out of all the prize announcements made for me, all the plot announcements were fake, which I did not receive. Apart from that, I have received all the cash prizes that were announced.”
Staying Grounded Amid Disappointment
Despite his disappointment, the 27-year-old remains focused on the futurespecifically, the upcoming World Championships in September. He said, “My entire focus is on myself, but apart from that, we train any youth who comes to us for training, and this training is given by my coach Salman Butt,” he said, showing his commitment not only to his own career but also to nurturing future talent.
Arshad Nadeem's road to Olympic glory
Nadeem’s stunning throw of 92.97 meters at the Stade de France in August not only earned him the Olympic gold but also set a new Olympic record. He bested Indian rival Neeraj Chopra, who took home the silver. The Olympic champion became the first ever Pakistani gold winner at the Games and the first medal winner after 40 years.
Nadeem made his Oympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics 2021, but finished fifth with his best throw of 84.62, 2.96m short of gold medalist Neeraj Chopra. The victory sparked national celebrations in Pakistan, with both federal and provincial authorities, as well as private organisations, rushing to announce rewards in recognition of his achievement.
The lanky javelin thrower who comes from Mian Channu, a town in Punjab which is 250 km from Lahore had to struggle a lot due to the family’s poor financial condition as his father is a construction worker and the sole breadwinner of the family. The situation was so bad that once the village people funded his training and travel to international competitions.
