In 2011, a young Arshad Nadeem, dressed in a simple salwar kameez, caught the eye of his future coach Rasheed Ahmad Saqi at a divisional athletics meet in Mian Channu.
Standing over six feet tall at just 13 years old, Arshad's impressive throw with a 600-gram javelin left a lasting impression. When questioned by Saqi about his lack of a tracksuit, Arshad casually mentioned that it was a school holiday, and he came as he was.
Saqi recalled, “It was early winter in 2011, and a young Arshad had come to the Municipal Stadium in Mian Channu to compete in the divisional athletics meet.”
Saqi mentioned, “He was more than six feet tall, and I was impressed by the way he threw the 600-gram javelin. When I asked him, why didn't compete in a tracksuit, the 13-year-old said, "School di chutti si te, main edha hi a gaya (It was a school holiday and I came to like this only).”
This marked the beginning of a relationship that would see Saqi become a "spiritual father" to Arshad, guiding him through the early stages of his athletic career.
Saqi is a former javelin thrower with a Punjab inter-college record in the early 1970s, the 69-year-old is the additional secretary of the Punjab Athletics Association (Pakistan).
Growing up in his village, Arshad would train with a makeshift javelin—a bamboo stick fitted with iron pieces—practising on a sandy school ground.
"I remember in his village, Arshad would get a bamboo stick fitted with bent iron pieces at the front, made by a local iron- smith and train at the school ground. He would sometimes slip too due to sandy patches," says Saqi.
Saqi worked diligently to refine Arshad's technique, focusing on straight throws to avoid injury due to his heavy build and long arms.
"While his height was the advantage at such an early age, it also created problems as he was heavily built. I had to make him practice the straight throws as the falling motion would result in fractures. And since he has long arms, I would make him practice the 20–27-degree angle for the throws," said Saqi.
By 2013, Arshad was throwing beyond 50 meters, prompting officials at a divisional meet in Multan to run out of measuring tape.
“In 2013, when we took him to Multan for a divisional meet, he threw more than 50m and the officials ran out of the tape used for the junior competition. A person sitting beside me would say, "Es jane ne tan tape hi muka ti (This youth has made the tape end),” laughs Saqi.
In 2014, at the Punjab Youth Festival in Lahore, Arshad stepped onto a synthetic track for the first time, winning gold with a throw of over 57 meters. Saqi recalls how they had to purchase second-hand track shoes for Rs 600, which Arshad treasured as his most prized possession.
“I wanted the padded shoes used by javelin throwers but then could only get second-hand track shoes for Rs 600 Arshad won the gold there and treasured those shoes like the biggest gift for him,” shared Saqi.
Despite his growing success, Arshad faced challenges with limited resources. Post-Tokyo Olympics, he received sponsorship from a local brand, 'Neza,' which provided much-needed financial support. However, government promises of four new javelins resulted in just one being delivered, forcing Arshad to train with the same javelin for over three years.
“Getting sponsorship from the 'Neza brand was a big relief for Arshad post-Tokyo. I don't want to name the government department, but they promised him four javelins post Tokyo but gave him only one,” shared Saqi.
“He trained with that javelin, which cost Rs six lakh, for more than three years. When the news reports came out, our PM gave Rs 25 lakh to Arshad to get four new javelins this year," remembered Saqi.
His coach Salman Butt, who accompanied Nadeem in Paris and is the secretary of the Pakistan Athletics Federation, discussed the challenges faced by the team.
He highlighted the disparity between their resources and those of other countries, noting, "We operate on a shoestring budget. We have a camp in Lahore and sometimes manage to secure a ground, but not always.
“We need to develop dedicated athlete and elite training centres, distinct from regular ones,” Butt shared.
Recently, Arshad secured a sponsorship from a mobile company, and his silver medal at the World Championships in Budapest helped secure additional support, including a trip to South Africa.
Arshad's hard work paid off when he broke the Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters in Paris. His journey from a village in Pakistan to the Olympic podium is a testament to his perseverance and the dedication of his coaches, who worked tirelessly to overcome the obstacles in his path.
In his hometown of Mian Channu, celebrations are being planned for his return. However, coach Saqi knows Arshad’s routine well and says, "Arshad will host a celebration party and then, for days, I won’t see him. He will catch up on his sleep!”
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