KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has said that he is fully determined to win a load of medals for Pakistan in future.
“The experience of playing in the Tokyo Olympics has instilled in me maturity and I am fully focussed on my future plans to secure a load of medals in the international circuit,” Arshad told ‘The News’ in an interview on Thursday.
Arshad shot to fame when he finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics recently.
“I will now work on my weaknesses when I properly resume training and will further develop my throw,” said Arshad, also a 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist.
The next year is loaded with events, including World Championship, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games — the main target for the Mian Channu-born athlete whose best throw is 86.38 metre.
With his personal best throw, Arshad can grab medals in these three events next year. And the athlete is quite hopeful. “Yes, I can win medals in these three events,” he said.
“When you get through tough times and pressure situations you learn a lot and I believe that my confidence level and my body language will now be much different when I touch the ground in any big event in future,” Arshad said.
“If you check my record my focus has always been to get a medal whether it is a small event or big and InshaAllah I will keep making efforts to bring more laurels for the country,” he said.
“The way the Pakistani nation and government backed me boosted my courage. I am very happy with the reward I was given for my effort for the country in Tokyo. Thank God for the honour. I will try to live up to the nation’s expectations,” said Arshad, also a bronze medallist of the 2016 Vietnam Asian Junior Championship.
About the athletics governing body’s (AFP) plan to send him to Europe or Africa for training, he said Europe would be too cold in coming months. “Let’s see what happens, but I personally think Europe will be too cold in the coming months. I think it will be much better if a foreign coach is hired as it will help the other athletes of Pakistan also,” he said.
Arshad said that for the three major events to be held next year he would need at least six months training. “Inside six months I am confident I will be able to get myself fully ready for these three assignments,” he said.
Arshad said that he still had 60 percent of his Olympics training within him. “Yes, believe me I still have 60 percent of the Olympics training in me and when I resume my training I will be able to get in top shape within two months,” he said.
“Currently I am doing light training to keep myself fit and feel very fit despite my hectic engagements at the domestic level these days. I have a passion for keeping fitness as it is my job and I always work hard,” said Arshad, also an Islamic Games bronze medallist.
He said that he had not tried to contact his close friend Neeraj Chopra after the Olympics. “The issue is that I feel that he is busy. He is more busy than me and so I did not try to contact him,” Arshad said.