Gumi, South Korea, May 31, 2025: Pakistan’s javelin sensation Arshad Nadeem has once again brought glory to the nation by clinching the gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships, delivering a powerful throw of 86.40 metres on his final attempt.
The 2024 Olympic champion, who holds the Olympic record with a monumental 92.97-metre throw in Paris, narrowly missed breaking the Asian Championship record of 86.72 metres. Nevertheless, his dominant and consistent performance secured him the top podium spot in a highly competitive final.
India’s Sachin Yadav claimed silver with a best throw of 85.16 metres, while Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama secured bronze with a mark of 83.75 metres.
Nadeem opened his campaign with a steady first throw of 75.64 metres, gradually improving with each round. His second attempt landed at 76.60 metres, followed by a stunning 85.57-metre throw in the third round that vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard. He maintained his lead with an 83.99-metre throw in the fourth round before sealing his gold medal with the decisive 86.40-metre effort.
Pakistan’s second finalist, Yasir Sultan, began with 70.53 metres, later improving to 75.39 metres in his second attempt and slightly edging up to 75.50 metres in the third. His fourth throw dropped to 72.92 metres, leaving him outside medal contention but showcasing promising talent.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other political leaders extended their heartfelt congratulations to Nadeem, hailing his achievement as a moment of immense pride for Pakistan.
Back in Mian Channu, Nadeem’s hometown, jubilant celebrations erupted. Supporters gathered to beat drums, distribute sweets, and chant patriotic slogans. The emotional high point came as the stadium echoed with “Dil Dil Pakistan”, while Arshad dropped to his knees in sajda (prostration) to thank Allah for his victory.
Nadeem had qualified for the final with an impressive 86.34-metre throw in the preliminary round on Friday. With this gold, he becomes the first Pakistani in over 50 years to win top honors at the Asian Athletics Championships—breaking a drought that dates back to 1973, when Allah Dada and Muhammad Younis won gold in javelin and 800m, respectively, in the Philippines.
Already a national icon, Nadeem is Pakistan’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medalist and the country’s first Olympic medalist in athletics. His growing list of accolades now includes four gold, one silver, and four bronze medals across major international competitions such as the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Islamic Solidarity Games, South Asian Games, and Asian U20 Championships.
Arshad Nadeem’s name is now firmly etched in the annals of Pakistan’s sporting history.
