Arshad returns from UK after knee treatment

LAHORE: The country’s premier javelin thrower and world silver medallist Arshad Nadeem has returned home after undergoing laser knee treatment in England.

He feels better and has started his rehab and training here at the Punjab Stadium in connection with preparations for the Paris Olympics.

After laser treatment under England-based Dr Bajwa at Cambridge, Arshad also underwent physiotherapy at the gym and spent almost a week in England along with his coach Salman Butt.

Arshad is also doing techniques and weight training and he seems in a better shape. “I stood up on the very second day after laser treatment and I feel much better now,” Arshad told ‘The News’ here in an informal chat.

He is hopeful that in a month time he will be in top shape. “Everything went well in England and InshaAllah I will be in a much better shape in a month time,” he said.

Arshad has maintained his weight and also sounded very confident, a thing which is seen very good as far as Pakistan’s Olympics medal chances are concerned.

“Just pray and inshaAllah everything will be okay. My top priority is to achieve top fitness and if it is done then it will be very good and I will fight with full force in the Olympics,” said Arshad who is the sole Olympics medal hope of Pakistan. He qualified for the Paris Olympics during his silver-medal winning show in the World Championship in Hungary last year.

Arshad then skipped the Asian Games in Hangzhou due to a recurring right knee injury which he had developed during the 34th National Games in Quetta in May last year.

Arshad skipped the Asian Championship in Bangkok but fielded in the World Championship in Hungary and created history for Pakistan by becoming the first ever athlete of the country to win silver in the World Championship.

South Africa is the next training destination for Arshad who also created Commonwealth Games record in the 2022 Birmingham quadrennial event with a historic throw of 90.18 metre which is his career-best effort.

“Yes, I have applied for the South Africa visa and inshaAllah will leave for South Africa to undergo five to six weeks training,” Arshad said.

“I will then return and will continue training here. I also want to feature in Diamond League or any other international event before the Paris Olympics,” Arshad said.

This is the second time that Arshad will be featuring in the Olympics. Last time he had featured in the Tokyo Olympics and had finished fifth. It was the same event through which Arshad shot to fame.

It is pertinent to mention here that Arshad also gets instructions from the South African coach who is basically a German. So far five Pakistani players have qualified for the Paris Olympics: Arshad Nadeem, shooters Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Joseph Gulfam and Kishmala Talat and France-based eventer Usman Khan. Usman will need to maintain his status until the end of the timeline which has been set for the Paris Olympics qualification.