Upbeat Arshad ‘training hard’ for Olympic dream

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier javelin thrower and 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Arshad Nadeem on Tuesday said that he had improved his throw, adding, he was confident of meeting his target and making it to the 2020 Olympics.

“I am training hard in Lahore. I am throwing well and still there is enough time left and I will overcome all my deficiencies ahead of the World Championships,” Arshad told ‘The News’. He is set to compete at the World Athletics Championships which is going to be hosted by Qatar in Doha from September 28 to October 6.

Arshad’s event will be held from October 5-6. The athlete from Mian Channu is expected to proceed to Doha on September 24. “I will leave on September 24. I will get around two weeks ahead of my event and will train there also,” Arshad said.

Arshad recorded an 80.75 metre throw in the 2018 Asian Games to bring Pakistan back on victory podium after so many years in the continent’s biggest show. He now needs to record 85 metre throw if he is to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Arshad is training at the PSB Coaching Centre, Lahore. The PSB is sponsoring his camp. He is the only athlete who will be representing Pakistan in the World Championships. The other day, Athletics Federation of Pakistan’s (AFP) president Mohammad Akram Sahi told ‘The News’ that Arshad had the ability to qualify.

“Despite all hurdles we will be trying our level best to back Arshad,” Sahi said. Arshad shot to fame when he won bronze medal in the 2016 South Asian Games. As the gold and silver medalists of that event were world’s top player the feat also enabled Arshad to ink his name at No3 in the IAAF Under-20 world rankings. Later in the same year, Arshad finished with bronze in the Asian Junior Championships in Vietnam. He also finished with a bronze medal in the Islamic Games in Baku in 2017.

Arshad is one of the hot contenders from Pakistan for next year’s Olympics seat. Karateka Saadi Abbas and judoka Shah Hussain are also in quest of Olympics berths besides boxers who will also try to bring the country back on the Olympics map. Pakistan had last featured in boxing at the 2004 Athens Olympics.