Arshad set to return after failing to adapt to life in Mauritius

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem failed to adjust himself in the local conditions of Mauritius and is set to return home in the next couple of days.

“Yes, he could not settle down and is coming back in a couple of days,” an official of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) confirmed it to this correspondent on Friday.

Arshad, who had been sent to Mauritius to train at the High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) of the world athletics governing body (IAAF) on February 14, could not adjust himself mentally.

He had been given a separate room at a hotel, which is not far away from the HPTC in Mauritius.

In a whatsapp conversation with this correspondent during the past few days, Arshad claimed that the food was not good. He even said that the people were also not good.

The other day he said that he wanted to come back as the training there was also not good. The athlete further said that there were a few athletes of other nations who were undergoing training at the same centre but he did not know their language.

Meanwhile sources said that he got married a couple of months ago and that could also be one of the reasons why he lost his courage.

Before leaving for Mauritius, Arshad had told this correspondent that his main purpose was to qualify for the Olympics. He said that God had given him a good opportunity and he would try to grab it with both hands.

Mian Channu-born Arshad shot to fame when he lifted bronze medal in the 12th South Asian Games in India last year. The bronze medal also enabled him to achieve fourth rank in the IAAF Under-20 world rankings.

He then went on to secure bronze in the Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Vietnam. Keeping in view his potential, the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) sent him to Mauritius for around six months’ training but the same move also failed.

An official of the AFP said that it would be better to bring in a foreign coach to Pakistan instead of sending the athletes abroad for training.

After returning home, Arshad would be put in the camp which is in progress in Islamabad for the preparations of the Islamic Solidarity Games which will be held in the Azerbaijan’s capital Baku from May 12-22.