Arshad finishes eighth in men’s javelin throw

From our correspondent

GOLD COAST, Australia: Pakistan’s premier javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem could not click when it mattered after he finished eighth in the men’s javelin throw finals of the 21st Commonwealth Games athletics competitions here at the Carrara Stadium on Saturday.

The Asian Junior Championships, South Asian Games and Islamic Games bronze medalist, who had bettered his national record on Friday in the qualification round of the event with 80.45m throw, fell even short of that too. His best effort in the 12-man finals remained 76.02m. His attempts in the finals remained 74.46, 73.55, 75.75, 74.91, 76.02 and 73.84.

As he had developed back pain during his effort on Friday, every time he completed the throw in the finals he was seen holding his back with both hands and pressing it.

India’s Neeraj Chopra won the gold with his season’s best effort of 86.47m. The statistics of his six throws in the high voltage event at the Jam-packed stadium remained 85.50, X, 84.78, 86.47, 83.48 and X. The cross shows fouled attempts.

Australia’s Hamish Peacock claimed silver with a throw of 82.59m. His efforts remained 75.95, 81.37, 79.05, 82.59, 79.74, 79.42.

Grenada’s Anderson Peters lifted bronze with a throw of 82.20. His series of throws were 68.68, 82.20, 74.53, 80.57, 74.93, 79.52.

They were followed by Phil-Mar Janse Van Rensburg of South Africa ( 79.83), India’s Vipin Kashana (77.87), Australia’s Luke Cann (76.99), Shakeil Waithe of Trinidad and Tobago (76.85), Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem (76.02), Saint Lucia’s Albert Reynolds (73.87), New Zealand’s Benn Burnell Langton ( 73.77), Kenya’s Toroitich Alex Kiprotich (73.21) and Sri Lanka’s Sampath Ranasinghe (70.15).