Arshad Nadeem | Pakistan

A lifetime ban and month-long legal fiasco that ensued didn’t stop Salman Butt from coaching Arshad Nadeem to yet another global javelin title at the Islamic Solidarity Games last week. With the ban recently being declared “illegal and void” by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Adjudicator, Salman has already gotten back to work. “We feel that justice has been served,” Salman told Dawn in a phone call while attending an overseas conference. “And now, I’ll continue with the work I’m doing,” added Salman, who serves as the Asian Director of Development for World Athletics. The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) imposed a lifetime ban on Salman on October 12, citing “gross violations of the AFP Constitution” due to “illegal and unconstitutional” elections held by the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA), of which Salman was president till August 6. The ban barred Salman from participating in any athletics activities nationally or internationally. Salman appealed the ban, and PSB appointed Senator Pervaiz Rashid ...

Pakistan’s javelin sensation Arshad Nadeem delivered another commanding performance on Wednesday, winning the gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in Riyadh and successfully defending his title.

Pakistan dominated the men’s javelin throw final at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh as Arshad Nadeem expectedly defended his gold medal and Muhammad Yasir won silver. Arshad was in a league of his own headed into the seven-man event; his personal best of 92.97m — which won him gold and the games record at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Predictably, he had the lead from the start and was the only competitor to throw more than 80m — prompting hearty Arabic praise from the commentators — though he looked disappointed after most of his throws. The 28-year-old took home gold with a modest 83.05m throw on his second attempt, well below his 88.55m throw at the previous edition that won gold broke the games record. View this post on Instagram Meanwhile, Yasir shifted gears in the sixth and final throw to win silver in 76.04m after overtaking Nigeria’s Samuel Adams Kure, who bronze in 76.01m. The duo’s medals took Pakistan’s tally at the games to four; boxers Fa...

Arshad Nadeem’s coach Salman Butt will travel with him for the upcoming Islamic Solidarity Games next week despite having been slapped with a lifetime ban by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) which prohibits him from participating in any athletics activities. The ban, which the federation imposed on Salman on October 12 “for gross violations of the AFP Constitution”, barred Salman from participating in any athletics activity “whether as an athlete, coach, official, or office bearer, at both national and international levels, inside or outside Pakistan.” AFP cited “illegal and unconstitutional” elections held on August 31 by the Punjab Athletics Association — of which Salman was president till August 6 — as the primary reason for the ban. The ban came just days after AFP asked Salman to explain Arshad’s 10th-place finish at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. The matter descended into the legal sphere when Salman approached the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on Oct 14 to hear the cas...

The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) on Sunday imposed a lifetime ban on Salman Butt, coach of Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem “for gross violations of the AFP Constitution” in an attempt to “uphold transparency, constitutional compliance, and organizational integrity within the federation”. The decision against Butt comes against the backdrop of AFP seeking reasons behind a sharp decline in Arshad’s performance where he finished 10th in the men’s javelin final at the World Athletics Champ­ionship held in Tokyo last month. In his reply to AFP, Butt said that it was due to the heat and humidity in the Japanese capital as well as a calf pain that Arshad couldn’t perform up to his usual standards. According to a press release issued by AFP, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the federation in its executive committee meeting held on October 10 under the chairmanship of AFP president Wajahat Hussain Sahi, “has taken significant disciplinary and administrative decisions to uphold transparency, constit...

A year ago to the day, Arshad Nadeem stunned the world with a monstrous javelin throw that propelled him to global stardom and salvaged Pakistan’s plummeting sports glory with its first individual gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The javelin star sweetened the deal when his 92.97m throw shattered the Olympic record — not once, but twice, to the delight of a roaring crowd at Paris’ Stade de France. But a year on from the historic triumph, Arshad is undergoing physiotherapy in London following surgery on his calf muscle. The two upcoming Diamond League championships he was set to compete at this month have been scrapped from his sports calendar as he recovers in time for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. But there is no disappointment from Arshad or his coach Salman Butt, who doubles as his mentor, manager, and much more. “Things are looking good for Tokyo,” he told Dawn.com in a call from London. “We’re hoping to accomplish a lot there.” A gold medal at the World Championships will...

Javelin ace Arshad Nadeem could miss two upcoming Diamond League championships next month as he undergoes post-surgery rehabilitation in London, in the hopes of a full recovery ahead of the Tokyo World Athletic Championships this September. The Olympic champion was set to travel to England this month to prepare for the World Championships, ahead of the Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland on August 16 and Zurich, Switzerland on Aug 27-28. Last week, however, he underwent surgery on his calf muscle to address a recurring injury. The interventional procedure was done by Dr Ali Bajwa at Spire Hospital in Cambridge, United Kingdom. View this post on Instagram “We are now doing rehab work with a physiotherapist in London,” Arshad Nadeem’s coach, Salman Butt, told Dawn.com. “This is a two-week plan before we test ourselves for going back to regular workouts,” Butt added. “We are trying to achieve good form for the World Championship in Tokyo and maybe compete in one competition before Tokyo if Arshad regains good...

Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra are set to lock horns next month at the Diamond League event in Silesia, Poland, in their first head-to-head contest since the Paris Olympics, it emerged on Saturday. The match-up comes amid heightened political tensions between Pakistan and India, which have spilt over into the world of sports. A press release from the Diamond League, issued on July 9, announced the athletes taking part in the upcoming competition in Poland, including Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon. The contest between Nadeem and Chopra was described as “the first opportunity for revenge after the Paris Olympics”. “The Pakistani’s form remains something of a mystery, as he rarely appears on the European circuit,” the press release read. “The exception he will make on August 16 results from his desire to face Chopra.” The press release noted that Chopra threw 90 metres this spring, adding that he is “yearning for more”. Last week, Chopra headlined the ‘N...

Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem secured fourth position in the latest global rankings for javelin throwers released by the World Athletics Federation on Saturday. According to the World Athletics Federation official update, Arshad Nadeem currently holds the fourth position with 1370 points, finding himself among the sport’s finest, despite competing in just one ranking event […]

Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem was named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list following his historic Olympic performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, it emerged on Monday. The entertainment and sports list, which was originally published last month, aims to “[spotlight] the next generation of talent — on court and the screen.” Nadeem, 28, changed Pakistan’s sporting trajectory when he won gold and broke the Olympic record with a massive 92.97m throw in Paris — which Forbes called a “stunning show” — winning Pakistan’s first individual gold medal and the first of any colour in more than 30 years. His Olympic feat got him more than Rs153 million in cash prize from Punjab and Sindh, in addition to several other rewards handed out by various government entities and companies. The government also named a road in Islamabad in Nadeem’s honour, while Pakistan Post issued a commemorative stamp on Independence Day to pay tribute. Nadeem retained his javelin supremacy when he took home gold at last month’s Asian Athletic Cha...

Less than 24 hours after striking gold in the javelin final at the Asian Athletics Championship, javelin phenom Arshad Nadeem on Sunday thanked the nation for its support and prayers, dedicating the win to Pakistan. Yesterday, Arshad returned to international competition and won a gold medal with a throw of 86.40 metres in the men’s javelin final in Gumi, South Korea. India’s Sachin Yadav took silver with an 85.16m and Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama took home bronze with an 83.75m throw. Both athletes threw a personal best. In a post on Instagram today, Nadeem said: “It is because of all your prayers that Allah made me successful in the finals, and gave respect to Pakistan, when I won gold at the Asian Athletics Championship. View this post on Instagram “This is a result of your prayers, and the hard work of me and my coach, Salman Iqbal Butt,” he said in a short video message as he adorned a green and white Pakistan jersey. He noted that he would be arriving at Lahore International Airport at 10:20pm tonight. “It giv...

Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem threw a massive 86.40m to win gold in the men’s javelin final at the Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea, on Saturday. India’s Sachin Yadav took silver with an 85.16m and Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama took home bronze with an 83.75m throw. Both athletes threw a personal best. After leading the field in the first few throws, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage was bumped off the podium to finish fourth with an 83.27m throw. India’s Yash Vir Singh finished fifth with an 82.57m personal best throw. China’s Hu Haoran threw a season best 80.93m to finish sixth, while Sri Lanka’s Sumedha Jagath Ranasinghe Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage finsihed seventh with a 79.81m throw. Pakistan’s Muhammad Yasir finished eighth with a 75.39m throw. View this post on Instagram In a post on Instagram, Nadeem wrote: “This victory belongs to the Almighty first — His blessings, His will. Without His grace, none of this would be possible. “To my coaches, my team, my family, and every Pakistani who pray...

Javelin star Arshad Nadeem and compatriot Muhammad Yasir on Friday qualified for the finals of the Asian Athletics Championships, months after the former made the country proud with his historic win at the Paris 2024 Olympics. On Thursday, Arshad had said that he was preparing to participate and secure a win in the tournament. More than 2000 athletes from 43 countries are competing at the 26th Asian Athletics Championships, taking place in South Korea. The Mian Channu-born elite athlete cruised into the final with an 86.34m throw on his first and only attempt in the A Qualification round. He will be joined by Yasir who qualified for the finals with a 76.07m throw in the B Qualification round. Arshad leads the 21-member field, followed by Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage with an 83.71m throw, and Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama with an 81.36m throw. Yasir heads into the final ranked ninth. Arshad took to Instagram today to announce his entry into the final. “Alhamdulillah qualified this morning for the final compet...

Javelin star Arshad Nadeem on Thursday said that he was preparing to participate and secure a win in the upcoming Asian Athletics Championships, months after he made the country proud with his historic win at the Paris 2024 Olympics. More than 2000 athletes from 43 countries will compete in the 26th edition of the Asian Athletics Championships, set to take place in South Korea, according to the official Olympics website. In a video message on his Instagram Stories, he said, “I am competing tomorrow in [South] Korea at 6:15am Pakistan Time.” He said that this was his first tournament following last year’s Olympics. “Please pray for me so that I qualify for the finals,” he said. “The final would take place on May 31 at 1:10pm PKT,” he said, asking for prayers so that he could “secure the medal and make Pakistan proud”. In August last year, Nadeem set a new Olympic record and won a gold medal in the men’s javelin final in Paris with a 92.97m throw. Nadeem will soon be going to England to prepare for September’s ...