Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem and rising javelin thrower Yasir Sultan have qualified for the final of the javelin event at the Asian Athletics Championship.
Arshad topped Group A with an impressive first-attempt throw of 86.34 metres, while Yasir advanced from Group B with a mark of 76.70 metres.
“I was at the top in the qualifying round with a long throw,” said Arshad. “The final is tomorrow at 1:10pm Pakistan time.”
The javelin final is scheduled for tomorrow in Gumi, South Korea, where the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships are underway from May 27 to 31. “Everyone has always prayed for me, please do so tomorrow as well,” Arshad urged. “Pray that I may raise Pakistan’s flag high — Pakistan Zindabad!”
Pakistan has a compact yet promising five-member squad for the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, taking place in Gumi, South Korea, from May 27 to 31.
Leading the national contingent is Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Nadeem.
This is his first major outing since his historic triumph at the Paris Olympics, and Arshad is looking to add another gold medal to his collection.
He won the Gold Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a jaw-dropping record of 92.97m. Arshad is Pakistan's first-ever individual Olympic gold medalist and the nation's first medalist in athletics at the Summer Games.
So far, he has won four golds, one silver, and four bronze medals in various events, including the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Islamic Solidarity Games, South Asian Games, and Asian U20 Championships.
Earlier this week, Arshad was honoured with the prestigious Best Asian Athlete Award by Asian Athletics. The award was presented to him during an official ceremony held on Sunday in the city of Gumi, South Korea.
The award recognises Arshad’s outstanding performances and contributions to athletics in the Asian region.
The ceremony took place following the Asian athletics meeting in South Korea, highlighting his status as one of the continent’s top athletes.
On the track, Pakistan will be represented by Shajar Abbas and Mueed Baloch, both competing in the men’s 400m sprints.
Shajar, widely regarded as Pakistan’s fastest sprinter, has shown consistent improvement over the past year and aims to challenge Asia’s best. Mueed will add depth to the country’s sprinting lineup.
Tameen Khan is the lone female athlete in the squad and will compete in the women’s 100m sprint. Her selection underscores the growing potential of female athletes in Pakistan’s athletics landscape, and the federation is optimistic about her performance.
The Pakistan Athletics Federation has expressed confidence in the selected athletes, emphasising that the goal is not just participation, but also competing for podium finishes.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan has, to date, secured a total of eight medals at the Asian Athletics Championships — two gold, three silver, and three bronze. Meanwhile, China currently leads the overall medal tally, followed by Japan in second place.
