Arshad may miss Paavo Nurmi Games

LAHORE: Pakistan’s premier javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem may miss the vital event of Paavo Nurmi Games which Finland is going to host next week as the world silver medallist and his coach Salman Butt are yet to receive Finland visas.

The duo are scheduled to leave for Finland on June 15. Arshad is due to compete on June 18. The approaching weekend and Eid vacations have increased the uncertainty. “Yes we are waiting desperately for visas,” Arshad’s coach Salman Butt told The News on Thursday.

“We had got invitation from Finland Athletics Federation and accordingly we applied for visa in Dutch embassy as there is no Finland embassy in Pakistan. We are in communication with them and government officials have also approached the embassy but we are yet to receive visa,” Butt said.

“We expect it tomorrow as onwards there is weekend and vacations for eid will start. Organisers also ask us about our plans,” Butt said. “It would be fine if we get visa tomorrow and proceed to Finland as per plans,” Butt was quick to add.

“Days after Paavo Nurmi Games there is another event in Finland on June 22 but the Paavo Nurmi Games are more important as the world’s leading javelin throwers are coming there and it will give us feelings of Olympics,” Butt said.

“We have also planned to feature in the Diamond League in France on July 7. Let’s see what happens,” Butt said. “We are training in 46 degree Celsius in Lahore. We undergo training outdoor and indoor and we have no proper indoor facilities and it’s a big issue,” Butt said.

Paavo Nurmi Games are very important for Arshad to show his fitness and shrug off his rustiness ahead of the Paris Olympics. “It’s a very important for me as it will help me to regain confidence ahead of the Paris Olympics,” Arshad told The News. “I am training well and am ready for any challenge,” Arshad said.

He said that the recent five-week training in South Africa also helped him a lot. “That’s training was too useful as I learnt some new things as far as far as skills are concerned and it will help me,” Arshad said.

Following lifting a silver medal in the World Championship in Hungary last year Arshad mostly faced fitness issues which also forced him to stay away of the last year’s Hangzhou Asian Games.

He also underwent laser surgery of his right knee in England a few months ago. He then resumed training under Butt in Lahore and was also sent to South Africa for five-week training under Terseus and Arshad is also happy with that trip. However his fitness and form is not yet known until he features in any competitive event and Paavo Nurmi Games is the best opportunity for him to show his fitness and form.

Arshad is the sole medal-winning hope of the country in the Paris Olympics. This is the second time that he will be featuring in the Olympics. He had finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics, which also changed completely his life as an athlete.