“I made that javelin myself in 2012,” Nadeem said during an interview with ARY News channel, recalling his difficult road to glory in a sport that doesn’t have many takers in Pakistan. Nadeem has become a national hero since his triumph at the Paris Olympics on August 8th. He clinched the gold medal in the javelin throw event, surpassing his Indian rival and defending champion, Neeraj Chopra, who secured the silver medal.
Nadeem’s outstanding performance has not only brought him fame but also substantial financial rewards.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, has pledged to award him 150 million rupees ($538,000), while Mariam Nawaz, the chief minister of Punjab, personally handed him a check for 100 million rupees ($359,000) during a visit to his village last Tuesday.
(AP Photo)
Additionally, Murad Ali Shah, the chief minister of Sindh, has promised to give Nadeem 50 million rupees ($179,500).
Growing up in a nation of 250 million people where cricket reigns supreme, it was natural for Nadeem to initially pursue cricket at a young age. However, it was only after his elder brother and father encouraged him to explore javelin or shot put that Nadeem decided to shift his focus away from cricket and dedicate himself to these athletic disciplines.
“(They) told me ‘try shot put or javelin because there’s a chance you might excel in an individual sport rather than a team game like cricket,’,” Nadeem recalled.
His rise to prominence on the international stage came when he secured a bronze medal at the South Asia Federation Games in Guwahati, India. It was during this competition that Nadeem had first came across Chopra, the gold medallist.
Chopra’s success continued at the Tokyo Olympics, where he clinched the gold medal. Nadeem also delivered an impressive performance, throwing a distance of 84.62 meters and finishing in fifth place.
“I started to train for Paris soon after Tokyo Olympics because I knew it, I can do something special for Pakistan,” Nadeem said in the TV interview that aired on Thursday.
Pakistan’s last Olympic gold medal victory dates back to the 1984 Los Angeles Games, where the men’s field hockey team emerged triumphant.
At the Paris Olympics, Pakistan sent a small contingent of just seven athletes. Six of them competed in swimming, track, and shooting events but were unable to secure any medals. Consequently, Nadeem found himself as the country’s only remaining prospect for a podium finish.
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“I stopped watching social media two days before the qualifying round because I was the last hope of millions of Pakistanis back home,” Nadeem said.
In the qualifying round, he launched the javelin beyond the 86-metre mark, securing his spot in the final. However, during his first attempt in the final, he registered a foul throw. Undeterred, he regrouped for his second throw. With explosive power, he hurled the javelin a staggering distance of 92.97 meters, shattering the previous Olympic Record and etching his name in the annals of athletics history.
“When he first came to me 12 years ago, I had a belief that one day he will go over the 90-meter mark,” said Nadeem’s initial coach Arshad Ahmed Saqi, who first sent Nadeem to a provincial level tournament in Lahore in 2012 from a small village of Mian Channu district in Punjab province.
Nadeem said he was confident of winning gold after his second throw in the final in Paris, but strived to go even further in his last four attempts.
“I knew it I could do it,” Nadeem said. “Even my last throw was over 90 meters because I believed in myself. Hopefully one day I will break the world record.”
Nadeem’s family back home stayed awake until the early hours of the morning, watching him live on television.
His wife, Ayesha, spent the night in prayer, hoping for his success.
“I didn’t sleep for three nights,” said Ayesha. “I knew he could do it, and I didn’t stop praying for him.”
(With AP inputs)
