Pakistan is hopeful of securing its first gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games currently taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as star javelin thrower and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is set to compete on Monday.
Alongside him, national javelin thrower Yasir Sultan will also participate in the event and is aiming to deliver a strong performance.
Arshad will not only be defending his title but also the Games record he established in the previous edition held in Konya, where he produced an impressive throw of 88.55 metres.
There are also strong expectations from Yasir Sultan, who claimed a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Championship, and is considered a capable contender for another podium finish.
Arshad, who famously set a new Olympic record of 92.97 metres in the Paris 2024 Olympics, has expressed confidence about performing well in Riyadh. He said he has trained intensely for the event and is hopeful of bringing glory to Pakistan once again, especially with the prayers and support of the people.
Both Arshad and Yasir have reached Saudi Arabia along with Arshad’s coach Salman Butt, whose presence has sparked controversy. Butt was banned for life last month by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan for violating election rules in an attempt to unlawfully prolong his tenure as Punjab Athletics Federation president.
Despite this, Butt sought help from the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and Pakistan Sports Board to remain part of Arshad’s coaching team. He even involved members of the PSB adjudicators’ panel, including Senator Pervez Rashid and Senator Rubina Irfan, to intervene in his favour. Arshad himself also wrote to the POA requesting that Butt be allowed to accompany him in Riyadh.
Arshad is also eager to improve upon his last performance, as he finished 10th at the World Championships in Tokyo—a result he aims to overcome this time.
So far, Pakistan has won two bronze medals in the ongoing Games:
Fatima Zahra, in the women’s 60kg boxing category
Qudratullah, in the men’s 55kg boxing event, after reaching the semi-finals
