Arshad Nadeem is still recovering from calf surgery in July, which affected his performance at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh
Despite finishing 10th at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Nadeem bounced back to win gold in Riyadh with a throw of 83.05m
Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion, Nadeem has Olympic, Commonwealth, and Asian titles
Arshad Nadeem Still Recovering From Calf Surgery, Wins Gold At Islamic Solidarity Games 2025
Arshad Nadeem is still recovering from calf surgery in July, which affected his performance at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, where he won gold with a throw of 83.05m after finishing 10th at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo
Summary
Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem is still fighting to fully recover from calf surgery he underwent in July, even as he continues to compete on the world stage.
Nadeem recently clinched gold at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, bouncing back from a disappointing 10th-place finish at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
"Winning another gold for my country gives me satisfaction, and I am grateful to Almighty Allah for His blessings," he said. "But I haven’t fully moved past the disappointment of Tokyo. My throw of 83.05m in Riyadh was not up to my standards as an Olympic champion, and my recovery from surgery affected my performance."
The athlete from Mian Channu, Punjab, is Pakistan’s most decorated track and field star. He won Olympic gold last year with a staggering throw of 92.97m, claimed gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with 90.18m, took silver at the 2023 World Championships, and this year added Asian Athletics Championships gold in South Korea to his tally.
Nadeem is now focused on a carefully planned rehabilitation program aimed at restoring him to full fitness by early next year.
His preparation for Riyadh was far from ideal. Travel delays added eight hours to his journey from Lahore, and he had to fight to ensure his long-time coach and mentor Salman Butt could accompany him.
Butt had faced a lifetime ban by the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation in October over alleged constitutional violations while heading the Punjab athletics body. After intervention from the Pakistan Sports Board, the Olympic Association cleared him to travel with the squad.
With PTI Inputs
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