The pride of Pakistan

Arshad Nadeem has become the pride of Pakistan. He not only won a gold medal in the Paris Olympics 2024 but also broke the Olympic record in the javelin throw with his 92.97 metre effort. All eyes are now on this magnificent young athlete. Little is known about his struggle to reach this point through sheer hard work and talent. This was largely a lonely journey as Arshad did not get the desired support from the state. At one point, he was reportedly even struggling to acquire a new javelin and lacked a proper ground to practice in. It is quite sad that many of our athletes are sidelined in this way and only a few popular games get a relatively high level of support. The government should set up a devoted fund for sports in Pakistan and the development of the young athletes that will do the country proud.

Dr Ahmed Mustafa

Rawalpindi