Confident and focused — Arshad begins his medal quest today

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem will begin his Tokyo Olympics medal race when he features in the qualification stage of the javelin competition at the Olympic Stadium in Japan’s capital on Wednesday (today).

Arshad, placed in Group B, will compete at 6:35 am PST. Both Group A and B carry 16 athletes each. The athletes who achieve a minimum qualifying standard of 83.50 metre or the 12 best performers will make it to the August 7 finals.

Arshad is upbeat ahead of the event. “Yes, my morale is high and I am quite confident,” Arshad told ‘The News’ in a detailed chat from Tokyo on Tuesday.

Arshad took a complete rest on Tuesday. “I rested today as it was necessary when you are to compete in the morning tomorrow,” he said.

Arshad blasted his way into the Tokyo Olympics with a splendid 86.29 metre throw he managed during the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal which also fetched a gold for the Khanewal-born athlete who has been winning the national title since 2015.

Arshad then bettered his record with an 86.38 metre throw in an international event in Mashhad, Iran, in April this year which also helped him claim gold. It was also the record for that event.

Arshad said that he would try to manage a mighty throw in his first attempt which would land him in the finals. “I would like to achieve qualification with a single mighty throw. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow. I request the whole nation to pray for me,” said Arshad, the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games bronze medallist.

“Once I make it to the finals then I will try to put in my best and win a medal for the nation, InshaAllah,” said Arshad, a former Under-20 World No3 and current World No23.

Arshad is happy with his training in Tokyo during the last one and a half weeks. “It has been splendid so far. The weather here is similar to that in Pakistan. I did good training during my stay in Tokyo. All javelin throwers were training at the same venue. I interacted with most of them,” he said.

Arshad is the sole hope for Pakistan to win a medal at the Olympics and there definitely will be a lot of pressure on the WAPDA athlete. “Yes, pressure is a natural thing. You know it’s a big stage. I know the whole nation is looking towards me and I will try my level best to win a medal. I know that it will be after three decades if I win a medal. I know its importance,” he said.

Arshad said he was not thinking about any rewards. “What I want to do here is to get a medal for the country as by doing so it will be a historic medal in athletics, the first ever which will come in Pakistan’s athletics history. I want to give my country and nation the biggest sporting gift. That’s what I am targeting,” he said.

Asked who will be on his radar during the event, Arshad said he would fight against himself. “I have not in mind that I will fight against any thrower. I will fight against myself and my target which I have set. Let’s see what happens,” he said.

Arshad’s coach Fayyaz Bukhari said God would help them. “We have prepared well and will do our best,” Fayyaz told ‘The News’ from Tokyo.