"Arshad Nadeem: From hardship to 2024 Paris world champion."

Early winters and salwar kameez. That is what coach Rasheed Ahmad Saqi recalls from his initial encounter with javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, the gold medallist at the Paris Olympics.

Early in the 2011 winter, a young Arshad traveled to Mian Channu's Municipal Stadium to participate in the divisional track meet. His height over six feet, and I was amazed at how well he threw the 600-gram javelin. The 13-year-old responded, "School di chutti si te, main edha hi a gaya (It was a school holiday and I came like this only)," Saqi recollects telling The Indian Express when I asked him why he hadn't competed in a tracksuit.

Saqi is referred to by Nadeem as his "spiritual father." a previous javelin competitor Prior to becoming an athletics official, Saqi owned and operated the Shalimar Hotel restaurant in the town of Mian Channu. Whenever Saqi traveled to Sialkot, a well-known city for its sports goods sector, he would bring discus and javelins for the village contests. At that moment, Saqi's gaze settled on 13-year-old Arshad's victory. The following day, Arshad's father, Muhammad Ashraf, a mason in the community, asked him to mentor his son. Apart from the Municipal Stadium, where primarily football and hockey games were played on grass, Saqi would teach Arshad in discus and javelin at the village's Government Model School pitch.

"I recall that Arshad used to train at the schoolyard with a bamboo stick that had bent iron parts attached to the front, crafted by a nearby ironsmith. Because of the sand areas, he would occasionally slip as well," Saqi claims.

Arshad's behavior, in which he avoids performing the falling routine like Neeraj Chopra and numerous others do, would also be influenced by his surroundings. Even though he was taller than others at such a young age, his heavy build presented challenges. He would have fractures from the falling action, so I had to have him practice the straight throws. Additionally, I would have him practice the 20–27 degree angle for the throws because of his long arms, adds Saqi. Together, they tried to teach Arshad how to use his elbow and upper body more effectively.

His throws would frequently land outside the little field or the stadium's athletics area, which presented the biggest obstacle at the school or the nearby stadium.2013

Another story from the 2014 Punjab Youth Festival in Lahore, where Arshad first stepped onto the artificial track at Punjab Stadium, is related by Saqi. Arshad threw over fifty-seven meters, but it also meant Saqi had to run to the Landa Bazaar, a Lahore flea market selling used imported products, to buy new shoes for Arshad.

"I was only able to get used track shoes for Rs 600, but I really wanted the padded shoes used by javelin throwers." Saqi says, "There, Arshad won the gold and cherished those shoes like the greatest present for him.

Arshad would get his hands on the 800-gram javelin during the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority competition four months after that one.

Arshad was able to train under five-time national champion and Asian medallist Syed Hussian Bukhari thanks to his employment with WAPDA.

Bukhari told this outlet, "I realized that with his tall build, we have to build his strength for the bigger throws." "First, we practiced throwing half-kilogram balls several times before moving on to three-kilogram balls. In addition, I would force him to sprint 50, 75, and 200 meters. Bukhari, who trained at a small park in Lahore and on the sandy banks of a river, recalls that the goal was to get him to throw the javelin with his front foot landing straight and him using his upper body, elbow, and wrists to attain the 27–30 degrees angle for the javelin.

For Arshad, receiving sponsorship from the "Neza" brand was a huge comfort after Tokyo. I won't name the government agency, but after Tokyo, they promised him four javelins, but all they handed him was one. He spent more than three years training with that six-lakh rupee javelin. Saqi recalls that when the news broke, our PM handed Arshad Rs 25 lakh so he could buy four new javelins this year.

Arshad just signed on as a sponsor with a cellphone company, and the 35,000 dollars he received for taking second place in the global championship in Budapest last year was paid to him. He was also sent to China and South Africa for training by the federation and government. The amenities were disclosed to the tabloid Dawn by his amiable coach Salman Butt, who is the secretary of the Pakistan Athletics Federation and was also in Paris. We are running on a very tight budget if you were to compare what we have with what the others have. In Lahore, we have a camp. We make an effort to find a footing; occasionally we succeed, sometimes we fail. That's what we're missing. It is imperative that we establish top and athlete training facilities.

Coach Saqi, though, is aware of how Arshad would use his time upon his return. "After Arshad throws us a dawat (Party), I won't see him for days. He would have his restorative sleep!”