A video of Olympian Arshad Nadeem and former Pakistan cricket team captain Shahid Afridi has emerged online in which Nadeem is seen guiding Afridi in learning the javelin throw. The former Pakistan cricketer and Olympic gold medalist met each other in Jeddah at a school where Afridi had visited. Nadeem shared the video of the same on his official Instagram handle with caption ” Sharing my passion for Javelin with the Boom Boom legend himself! Had an amazing time giving some tips to @safridiofficial at KAUST Jeddah”
Arshad Nadeem’s Olympic glory
Arshad Nadeem became Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medallist in 40 years with a record-breaking javelin throw of 92.97 metres (305ft) at Stade de France at the Paris Summer Olympics. Nadeem created a world record with a throw of 92.97 meters and defeated India’s Neeraj Chopra to become the world’s best javelin thrower. Neeraj won the silver medal in the same event.
Before trying his hand in Javelin, Nadeem had tried his hands at other sports like cricket, football, hockey, and kabaddi. The Paris Olympics was Nadeem’s second after taking part in the event in Tokyo. During his maiden Olympics, Nadeem failed to receive support for his travel from the government. With barely a few months to go for the Paris Games, he requested the authorities to replace his old javelin as it had become impossible to practice with it.
Despite using outdated equipment and lacking access to proper gyms and training facilities, Nadeem secured gold. The 27-year-old Nadeem, the son of a retired construction worker and the third of eight siblings, was initially drawn to cricket like many Pakistanis. With no dedicated track and field facilities in Pakistan, athletes often train on cricket fields.
