Arshad Nadeem was the man of the hour on Monday morning when he allowed the audience to be part of history as they witnessed him launch his javelin to claim gold at the National Games.
It was not lost on the 28-year-old that the crowd of a few hundred was delighted by his very presence at the PNS Karsaz ground, his throws the cherry on the top as they got to see an Olympic champion in action before their very own eyes.
A robust lineup of track and field events crescendoed with the start of the men’s javelin, headlined by Arshad. A dozen cameramen lined the javelin sector’s periphery to get the perfect shot of Arshad in action as the heat bore down on the synthetic rubber track, the sun climbing higher in the sky to signal the advent of afternoon.
The track reverberated with the soft thud of spikes and echoes of the commentators’ effusive praise for Pakistan’s sporting hero ahead of his first throw of 78.74m that, unsurprisingly, guaranteed him the lead.
“Yeh din Arshad ka hai (this day belongs to Arshad) because he’s the Olympic record holder, and we’re honoured to have him here,” the commentators said.
Praise and appreciation were meted out in equal measure for Yasir Sultan, silver medallist at the Islamic Solidarity Games last month and the closest athlete to potentially challenge Arshad for first place.
“Make videos, take photos, keep a digital memory of this moment — that Arshad Nadeem was here to compete and you witnessed greatness with your own eyes!” the commentator’s voice boomed through the speakers.
The injury-prone athlete was speculated to throw just once, but a sense of disappointment and a thirst for satisfaction was written on his face after two throws in the late 70s.
He wanted to breach the 80m mark — hardly a feat for him when his personal best stands at 92.97m — and he willed it into existence with his third and final throw of 81.81m as he pumped his fists in the air and a smile spread across his face.
Yasir’s lone throw of 70m was enough to secure silver and give Wapda a top-two podium finish as he avoided aggravating an injury, while Army’s Abrar Ali won bronze with a 67.68m throw.
Finishing in sixth place was Arshad’s younger brother Aleem, not quite the replica of the family jewel but perhaps a work in progress to reach that level of sporting excellence.
Arshad’s coach Salman Butt was giving him advice in between throws before pivoting back to Arshad with technical advice and motivation.
Arshad was showered with well-wishes and selfies and handshakes from the end of the event till the medal ceremony.
The international superstar looked just as pleased with the local stardom he radiates everywhere he goes, his very presence at an event marking it as historic.
“If this event were happening in any other South Asian country, people would be leaning out the windows to get a glimpse of his throw,” one of the commentators said.
“We’re thankful that the Olympic record holder is here competing among the younger players and inspiring the next generation. This day will be remembered for ages to come.”
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