KARACHI: Arshad Nadeem on Sunday became first Pakistani sportsman to secure fifth position in men’s javelin competition at the World Athletics Championship, 2022, saying he had achieved the feat despite his injury.
Nadeem made headlines in August last year after he competed in men’s javelin throw competition in the Olympics where he finished fifth after almost winning a medal for his country.
Since the Olympics last year, he did not participate in any competition until Sunday’s championship.
“It is no small feat to participate in an international competition after a year and perform big,” he told Arab News over the phone from Oregon, US.
“My experience was really good because I had a knee and elbow injury,” he said. “It was a world championship, and I thought it was reasonable for me to play with the injury.”
Nadeem made history when he became the first Pakistani athlete to qualify for the World Athletics Championship final. He said he felt happy after securing the fifth position since he was competing against top international athletes.
“I didn’t just qualify but also gave a big performance, standing at number five in the world,” he said. “I felt very good because I participated in a competition after a year. I wasn’t even expecting this, yet I managed to perform big.”
Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem reacts during the final of the Men's Javelin Throw at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, US, on July 23, 2022. (REUTERS)
Nadeem said he was injured prior to the Olympics but could not get medical treatment in time due to the global competition.
The injury, he said, got worse after the Olympics, and he would have missed the World Athletics Championship if he had he gone for a surgery as advised by his doctor.
“When I qualified for finals, I felt my body would accept to go up to a 90-meter throw, and I even had the capacity to do that,” he said. “But when there is an injury, one’s mind is not open to throwing without hesitation. I could have achieved a 90-meter throw and earned the gold model, but whatever the Creator wills [happens].”
“I look at it as if I have won the gold,” he said.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters defeated India’s Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra in the championship. Nadeem said both athletes were happy with his performance.
“They all appreciated me and it means a lot,” the Pakistani athlete disclosed. “Neeraj wished me luck prior to the finals [as I was] playing despite the injury. After my big throw, he was very hopeful and said, ‘Very well done.’”
After last year’s Olympics, Nadeem had mentioned how Pakistani athletes were not able to compete with international rivals due to a lack of facilities. He maintained the national sports authorities were putting in quite a lot of effort, though more needed to be done.
“There are not many facilities in Pakistan,” he reiterated while speaking to Arab News. “It will be great if the government gets us a good coach or sends us to a country where facilities and coaches are good,” he said. “When I can perform this big with the injury, I can make a world record if I am completely fit.”
After the world championship, Nadeem said he was preparing for two upcoming international competitions: the Commonwealth Games and the World Islamic Games.
