Focus on recovery before World C’ship, says Arshad

KARACHI: Pakistan's star javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who is passing through rehab, on Friday said if he gets fit in time then his main focus will be on the World Championship which will be held in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19 to 27.

“The World Championship is my main target and I will try to achieve top fitness before that event,” Arshad told 'The News' in a detailed chat.

“And if I recover earlier then I may also play the Asian Championship,” Arshad was quick to add.

The Asian Championship will be held in Pattaya, Thailand, from July 12-16. Arshad underwent an elbow surgery in London a couple of months ago. And he has been passing through a rehab programme at the PSB Coaching Centre, Lahore.

The rehab time-frame was seven to eight weeks, but Arshad said that it may take more time as the weather is a bit cold.

“You have to go along with such things,” Arshad said.

“Now I am doing light training along with the physiotherapy which is a routine exercise. I don't feel any such pain in my elbow but the exact condition will be known only when I begin hard training,” he said.

“After a couple of months training I will know exactly where my fitness stands,” said Arshad, who sustained an elbow injury during an international meet in Iran a couple of years ago. Despite the injury he featured in the Tokyo Olympics, World Championship, Commonwealth Games and Islamic Games and bewildered the world with his performances.

He finished fifth in both the Olympics and the World Championship and claimed gold medals with record throws in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Islamic Games in Turkey.

Arshad is on the path of recovery at a stage when he has ahead load of major events this year, including the 19th Asian Games slated to be held in Hangzhou in September and October.

Arshad won bronze in the previous Asian Games hosted by Indonesia in 2018.

“Yes, this year is full of events but currently I am focusing on my full recovery and the way I am progressing I am hopeful I will be able to achieve top fitness before all these major events,” he said.

Arshad said that he trains in the evening. In the morning he swims at the facility of the Sports Board Punjab (SBP).

It is pertinent to mention here that Arshad is in the official camp which has been held by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) with the support of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) at Lahore. The country's major sprinter Shajjar Abbas is also training with Arshad.

An AFP senior official told 'The News' the other day that it is working on sending Arshad to Germany where he will also do his rehab and will train under a German coach to be managed by the Pakistan embassy in Germany.

The AFP wants to train Arshad in Germany for a long duration as he also has to appear in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Arshad broke the 90 metre mark, managing a 90.18m throw in Brimingham last year, and is capable of snaring Olympics medal in Paris.