Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem eyes Olympic glory, seeks equality for non-cricketers

Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has planned to make his first ever Olympics the most successful as he has aimed to bag a medal at the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

The 22-year-old athlete had claimed his spot in the Olympics following his qualifying throw of 86.29m in the South Asian Games (SAG).

The throw not only saw Arshad qualify but also surpass the previous SAG record held by India’s Neeraj Chopra of 82.23m in 2016.

"I had initially planned to qualify in the World Athletics Championship, however, I was not fit and so I planned for the South Asian Games which not only fulfilled my aim but also broke a record," Arshad said.

When asked about his preparation for the Olympics, the athlete revealed that the Athletics Federation of Pakistan would send him to China to train for two months.

"I will go to China and train with a professional for two months. I hope to be successful. I have time so I will try my best," he said.

In recognition of his feat, the Punjab government named him as a sports ambassador, and also granted him a cash prize of Rs500,000.

However, the Khanewal-born athlete expressed his disappointment at the fact that cricket receives all the spotlight in terms of attention and investment, as he stressed that other sports should also be given their due.

"Every athlete works hard but they are often sidelined in favour of cricket. No doubt cricket should be given attention but 10 to 20 percent of the funding should also be given to other sports so that athletes can compete in major events," he said.