ISLAMABAD: Top Pakistani government and military officials on Friday congratulated Arshad Nadeem who won gold in the men’s javelin, beating defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India to become the first track and field athlete from Pakistan to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Nadeem threw his arms up in celebration after breaking the Olympic record on his second throw with an incredible 92.97 meters that put him sixth on the all-time list. In taking gold, the javelin thrower also became his country’s first ­medalist since 1992, when Pakistan won a bronze medal in men’s hockey in Barcelona. The last gold medal for Pakistan was at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by the men’s field hockey team. Nadeem is also Pakistan’s first-ever individual gold medal winner and the first individual medalist since Hussain Shah, who won the bronze medal in the Middleweight division (71–75 kg) at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

With his record-breaking throw, Nadeem became only the fourth athlete to cross the 90-meter mark in the men’s javelin at the Olympic Games. As he started the contest on Thursday night, Nadeem already held the honor of being the first ­Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event in the history of the Olympics. 

“I thank god first of all, and my parents for their prayers and the entire Pakistani nation because of whose prayers god has given me this honor of winning gold,” he said in a video posted on social media after winning a gold medal.

In separate messages, Pakistani President Azif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended “heartfelt congratulations to the entire Pakistani nation” on Nadeem’s gold medal-winning performance.

“Arshad Nadeem’s remarkable achievement is not just a personal triumph, but a victory for the entire country,” the president said. 

PM Sharif praised Nadeem’s “exceptional achievement” of not only winning a gold medal but also making history by setting a new Olympic record.

“Nadeem’s victory is a gift to the people of Pakistan, marking a proud moment in the nation’s sports history,” the PM said. “Nadeem has become a symbol of national pride and inspiration for future generations.”

In a separate statement, the Pakistan army, the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and the three services chiefs also sent “warmest felicitations to the nation on this momentous occasion as Arshad Nadeem etches his name in history by becoming the first Pakistani athlete to secure an individual gold medal for Pakistan at the World Olympics.”

The military chiefs praised the athlete for his “unwavering dedication, unrelenting perseverance, and exemplary hard work.”

“His triumph is a resounding affirmation of Pakistani talent and determination, showcasing the country’s potential to excel on the global stage,” the military said.

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Before Thursday’s Olympics triumph, the 27-year-old Nadeem finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympic Games before breaking through to claim his first major title at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he dueled with two-time world champion Anderson Peters for the gold medal, unleashing his first 90-meter throw to settle the contest. He continued to climb the ranks last year, coming back from elbow surgery to claim his first global medal, silver behind Chopra, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Nadeem, who compared Thursday’s Olympic clash with India’s Chopra to the two nations’ rivalry in cricket, has previously spoken about the challenges of being a non-cricket athlete in Pakistan where resources and facilities for his sport are scarce. He has also used his platform to call for more funding for track and field ­athletes in Pakistan: “In this day and age, you have to provide world-class ­facilities to develop athletes as the competition is getting tougher and tougher. You can’t produce another Arshad without giving them those facilities.”

But if Chopra’s huge following in India since winning Olympic gold is anything to go by, Nadeem’s performance on Thursday could help raise the profile of athletics in Pakistan.

Speaking to reporters, Nadeem said he was not surprised by his form in Paris.

“I was expecting and hoping to even go further but ultimately, I am content with 92.97m as it allowed me to win the gold,” he explained. “But I will continue working harder to extend this throw to over 95 meters.” 

Chopra said his preparation was affected by a groin injury, but he never gave up hope that he might match his rival.

“Today’s competition was really great, Arshad threw really well,” Chopra told reporters. “Congratulations to him and his country.”