Nadeem’s journey is celebrated not because of institutional support but despite the lack thereof. When he took up javelin, Nadeem reportedly did not have much money. According to his father, Muhammad Ashraf, people pooled money so that he can train.
“People have no idea how Arshad got to this place today. How his fellow villagers and relatives used to donate money so that he could travel to other cities for his training and events in his early days,” his father Muhammad Ashraf revealed.
Nadeem, 27, on Thursday secured Pakistan’s first gold medal. It was also the country’s third medal after one in wrestling in Rome 1960 and one in boxing in Seoul 1988.
Earlier this year, when Nadeem appealed for a new javelin for training, Neeraj Chopra supported his cause on social media, highlighting the sportsmanship between the two athletes. Nadeem’s career has notably progressed since his emergence on the scene, despite the challenges he has faced, including elbow, knee, and back issues that necessitated knee surgery last year.
Despite lacking top facilities and equipment available to athletes in other countries, Nadeem has managed to shift some focus from cricket to athletics in Pakistan.
