Making History Arshad Nadeem, a javelin thrower for Pakistan, is happy that his competition with Indian superstar Neeraj Chopra is gaining as much attention as the cricket matches between the two bitter neighbors because he thinks it will inspire young people in both countries to pursue sports. Against Chopra, Nadeem defeated him for the first time in their 11 face-offs to win the Olympic gold medal on Thursday night with an incredible Games record of 92.97 meters. With a season-best effort of 89.45m, Chopra won the silver and continued their legendary battle.

“There is undoubtedly rivalry between teams when it comes to sports, including cricket contests. Nadeem, 27, became the first person from Pakistan to win an individual Olympic gold medal. “At the same time, it is a good thing for youngsters in both countries who are pursuing a sport to follow us and follow their sports icons and bring laurels to their countries,” he told reporters.

Additionally, he is Pakistan’s first individual medalist since boxer Hussain Shah won a bronze in the middle weight class at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Even though Nadeem and Chopra are intense rivals on the pitch, they get along well off it. When Nadeem posted a request on social media a few months ago for money to purchase a good javelin, Chopra was one of the people who came forward to offer assistance.

In the Thursday night final, in which Chopra started as the top qualifier, the over six-foot-tall Nadeem was the dark horse.

However, with two throws that measured over 90 meters, the Pakistani, who won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with an effort beyond 90 meters, startled the elite field. One of the throws set a new Olympic record, previously held by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, who cleared 90.57 meters in the 2008 Beijing Games.

“I express gratitude to the country. Everybody prayed for me, and I thought I would do well. I’ve worked hard to improve my fitness over the years after suffering a knee injury and recovering. Regarding his performance, Nadeem remarked, “I was even confident of throwing beyond 92.97m, but that throw was enough for me to get the gold.”

“In the upcoming days and months, I’ll keep up my hard work and best efforts. I intend to go above and beyond this threshold as well.”

Nadeem also shared a glimpse into his early years, revealing that he began as a cricket player, tried his hand at table tennis, and eventually decided to take up javelin throwing after learning that he was physically equipped for it.

“I played table tennis, cricket, and took part in athletic competitions. However, my instructor informed me that I had a really strong javelin throw body, and I started focussing on the javelin only in 2016,” the man stated.

“Although some believe that my javelin throwing style is more akin to that of a fast bowler, I am content with this motion and the run-up I employ. That is a result of my early prowess as a bowler in cricket “He joked.

Nadeem, who is from the Punjabi village of Khanewal, had initial support for his training from his community, which he claims helped him remain grounded even as he achieved new national records.

“I’m from an agricultural community, so every time I receive a medal, I reflect on my beginnings and am inspired to perform better. I have stayed modest for this reason, and I want to succeed more because of it.

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