Riyadh, November 20, 2025: Pakistan asserted complete dominance in the men’s javelin throw final at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games, with Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem comfortably defending his title and compatriot Muhammad Yasir securing silver in a commanding one-two finish for the country.
Arshad, whose stunning 92.97m throw at the Paris 2024 Olympics remains the Games record, entered the seven-man field as the overwhelming favourite — and he lived up to the billing. The 28-year-old was the only athlete to clear the 80m mark, earning enthusiastic praise from Arabic commentators despite appearing dissatisfied with most of his attempts.
He sealed the gold medal with an 83.05m throw on his second attempt — far below his 2022 Games-winning 88.55m record, but still well ahead of his competitors.
Yasir, 27, left his best for last. Sitting third heading into the final round, he unleashed a 76.04m throw to overtake Nigeria’s Samuel Adams Kure (76.01m) and secure silver. The result took Pakistan’s medals tally at the Games to four, following bronze medals earlier won by boxers Fatima Zahra and Qudrat Ullah.
A scattered yet spirited crowd at Prince Faisal Bin Stadium gathered behind the javelin sector, waving Pakistani flags and recording every moment as Arshad — one of the country’s biggest sports icons — took centre stage.
Arshad began with a below-par 75.44m opener before crossing the 80m mark on his second and third throws. His subsequent attempts — 77.06m and a no-throw — reflected rust following injury and surgery earlier this year.
Before his final attempt, Arshad raised his arms to lead the crowd in rhythmic clapping. He ended with a 77.98m throw, bowed in prostration, then greeted fellow competitors bracing against Riyadh’s cool 20°C evening.
Fans swarmed the six-foot-two star as he headed toward coach Salman Butt, pausing for selfies and celebrations.
Speaking afterward, Arshad said the victory was a blessing after a difficult recovery period.
“I’m quite happy because I won this accolade right after my injury. My focus now is on preparing for competitions in 2026,” he said.
“I thank God for letting me get back to this level of fitness, and I congratulate the nation on this win.”
Yasir’s campaign began steadily with throws of 70.32m, 74.43m, 72.82m, 73.78m and 71.79m, securing bronze from the outset. But his final-round surge secured him silver and brought Pakistan a memorable clean sweep of the top two positions.
His effort was close to his season-and personal-best 77.43m, which earned bronze at the Asian Throwing Championships in South Korea in August.
The field also featured Guyana’s Leslain Alvino Baird, Uzbekistan’s Sarvar Ismoilov, Jordan’s Abdulrahman Alazemi and Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al Abdulghani, who finished seventh.
The Riyadh event marked Arshad’s third international appearance of the year, following a 10th-place finish at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships due to calf pain — an issue that required surgery in the summer. Yasir and Arshad last competed together at the Asian Athletics Championships in May, where Arshad claimed gold with 86.40m and Yasir placed eighth.
With the global athletics calendar concluding earlier after adjustments to the Diamond League schedule, the Riyadh Games provided a rare late-season opportunity — one that Pakistan’s javelin duo seized emphatically.
