Pakistan has fallen in love with the javelin after watching compatriot Arshad Nadeem, who overcame childhood poverty, multiple injuries and difficult training conditions, shatter the Olympic title yesterday.
The gentle giant from Lahore, who stands at almost 1.90m and weighs almost 112kg, won the hearts of his home nation – and beyond – when he produced a monstrous throw of 92.97m in front of a packed stadium at the Stade de France to secure gold.
The monumental effort made him his country’s first medallist in 32 years and its first ever gold medallist in athletics on a historic night for Pakistan.
The party in Lahore continued for much of the night, with Nadeem’s mother feeding the children sweets to celebrate and young children dancing and chanting his name.
Pride of the nation: Arshad Nadeem poses with his new Olympic record on Thursday after stunning the Stade de France to take the gold medal in the javelin throw.
The imposing athlete, who is almost 1.90 metres tall and weighs almost 100 kilos, sparked a celebration in Pakistan with his victory, which is the first Olympic gold in 32 years for the Middle Eastern country.
Arshad Nadeem’s house is photographed as young villagers gather to celebrate in the Punjabi village of Mian Channu.
The throw secured Pakistan’s first Olympic gold since the men’s field hockey team won at Los Angeles 1984; Nadeem was also the first gold medallist in athletics on a historic night for Pakistan.
Wearing the green of his country’s flag, 27-year-old Nadeem enjoyed a lap of honour and the chance to ring the Olympic bell at the Stade de France.
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem has broken the Olympic record in the javelin throw with a monstrous throw of 92.97m.
Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen had held the javelin record since the 2008 Games, but his distance of 90.57m was bettered by more than two metres under the lights of Paris.
When India’s Neeraj Chopra won gold in Tokyo three years ago, javelins sold out as a new generation took up the sport, and Nadeem’s efforts are likely to have the same effect.
However, his hard-earned glory certainly did not seem possible during his childhood, the athlete grew up in poverty in a Punjabi village, with his construction worker father, his mother and seven siblings.
In India, the javelin has enjoyed a huge following on from the success of silver medallist Neeraj Chopra, and it is likely to have the same impact in Pakistan following Nadeem’s victory this week (pictured: Pakistanis watch Nadeem’s victory on a television screen in the Khanewal district of Punjab province)
Relatives offer sweets to Nadeem’s mother Razya Parveen (left) after his victory.
In an article earlier this year, Al Jazeera He reported that his family was so poor that they only ate meat once a year.
While Nadeem’s career has been boosted by funding from the Pakistani government in recent years, his early adventures with the javelin were largely funded by kind-hearted villagers, who paid for his training, travel and equipment.
Even now, his training regimen still requires him to practice in Pakistan’s brutal heat, with no air conditioning at the Lahore gym he uses and outside temperatures often exceeding 45 degrees.
His trainer, Salman Iqbal Butt, 66, told Al Jazeera that he avoids the hottest hours of the day and splits his six-hour daily training into morning and evening sessions.
Nadeem told Middle East newspaper that he has always remained faithful to his ability to reach 90 meters.
Quiet life: The javelin throwing star is about to become very famous in his home country… but he keeps his personal life with his wife and two children a secret
Faith: The athlete told Al Jazeera earlier this year that he knew he was capable of making the kind of throw he made on Thursday night in Paris, saying: “From the beginning, I just told myself to keep a simple approach, make small changes and hope for the best, and it has worked for me.”
He said: “People have seen me throw long distances and I have also heard rumours that I can reach almost 100 metres (328 feet). But I don’t want to seem too ambitious. If I have surpassed 90 once, my next attempt is to touch 92.”
‘From the beginning, I told myself to keep it simple, make small changes and hope for the best, and it’s worked for me.’
Yesterday’s glory was not guaranteed either; Nadeem had claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games two years ago with a throw that exceeded 90 metres, but his form had cooled since that summer.
She has also undergone more than one surgery in recent years as her quest for Olympic gold has been threatened by injuries.
The 27-year-old claimed to have claimed silver at the 2023 World Championships but went one better in Paris after a performance few at the Stade de France – or Pakistan – will ever forget.
But from the moment the javelin left his hand at 112km/h, the attempt seemed enormous and the huge crowd at the Stade de France held their breath as the projectile floated through the Paris air.
The throw, despite falling just a few metres short of the world record, went down in history as the sixth longest of all time.
