Will Arshad Nadeem’s Olympic gold change the course for sports in Pakistan?

Islamabad, Pakistan – When Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medallist in 40 years, arrived at Lahore airport early on August 10, he was met by a raucous crowd of thousands, chanting his name and waving the Pakistani flag.

The 27-year-old athlete was accompanied by a large convoy of people playing drums and dancing on the drive home to his village near the small city of Mian Channu in Punjab province. Once there, residents welcomed him by throwing rose petals, and his father garlanded him with flowers.

Nearly two weeks after his record-breaking javelin throw of 92.97 metres (305ft) at Stade de France at the Paris Summer Olympics, Nadeem has emerged as Pakistan’s latest national hero.

He has received nearly $900,000 in prize money from the government along with a car featuring the registration number PAK 92.97. He was also honoured at an official reception with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and invited to raise the national flag during Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations on August 14.

In a country like Pakistan, where cricket dominates, Nadeem’s success has sparked unprecedented interest in javelin throwing and track and field sports.

Some observers have called his achievement – Pakistan’s first individual Olympic gold – the greatest sporting moment in the country’s 77-year history.

After his historic throw on August 8, Pakistani social media have been flooded with videos of boys and girls imitating Nadeem’s javelin throw with homemade spears.

According to sports journalist Faizan Lakhani, this newfound enthusiasm shows how Nadeem’s victory has captivated a nation.

“People are showing interest in javelin and other track and field sports. They are following the records, reading about the games, and it’s encouraging to see that people are paying attention to sports other than cricket,” Lakhani, deputy sports editor at the Pakistan channel Geo News, told Al Jazeera.

Lakhani said that while Nadeem’s achievement could lead to increased attention on other sports, the media’s and public’s interest often reverts to cricket.

“We are a one-sport nation with cricket getting all our attention. And with cricket matches starting, … it’s likely that we’ll shift our focus back to cricket and move on from Nadeem’s victory. It’s our collective responsibility to remember what Nadeem achieved, the significance of his victory, and to keep promoting interest in other sports,” he added.

Nadeem was feted upon his return to Pakistan, with the government awarding him nearly $900,000 in prize money after his Olympic gold medal win [Bilawal Arbab/EPA]

Past sporting success

After gaining independence from British rule in August 1947, Pakistan initially saw success in various sports, particularly field hockey, which is the country’s national game.

The hockey team won its first medal – a silver – at the 1956 Olympics, followed by its first gold in 1960. That year, Pakistan also won its first individual Olympic medal – a bronze for wrestler Muhammed Bashir.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Pakistan also produced some of its best sprinters with Abdul Khaliq earning the title the “Flying Bird of Asia” from India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, after he won the first of two gold medals at the 1954 Manila Asian Games. 

However, apart from squash and hockey, the performance of Pakistani athletes in other sports steadily declined. As political turmoil gripped the country in the late 1950s, followed by wars with India in 1965 and 1971 and decades of military rule, sports struggled, losing funding and grassroots scouting programmes. These changes were reflected in diminishing results.

The hockey team, for example, which won three Olympic gold medals – the last in 1984 in Los Angeles – and Pakistan’s last Olympic medal before Nadeem’s, a bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, has failed to qualify for the past three games.

Squash was also once dominated by Pakistan. Led by Hashim Khan and then by other members of the legendary Khan sporting dynasty from 1951 until 1997, Pakistani players reached 41 out of 47 finals of the British Open, the most prestigious squash tournament. They won 30 of those. However, the country has not seen a British Open victory or world championship since 1997.

An outlier

Nadeem rose through the ranks with the help of a private sponsor and his talent. He was first identified by his mentor and coach, Rasheed Ahmed Saqi, a sports scout, as a lanky 14-year-old competing in a local tournament.

But Nadeem is an outlier in a country of 241 million people. With public and media focus centred on cricket, which has the richest governing body, the Pakistan Cricket Board, other sports and their associated bodies have been dogged by allegations of political appointments and embezzlement, infighting and a lack of funding.

Athletes have relied on public and private organisations, such as banks, to set up sports departments that would provide an income stream and a career pathway, but with the country’s economic downturn in the past few years, many have closed their sports departments.

Athletes often cite a lack of funding or support to travel to compete in international tournaments.

Mohammed Shahnawaz, a United Kingdom-based Pakistani sports consultant advising local and diaspora athletes, believes Nadeem’s victory should prompt state authorities to reflect on how to better support promising athletes.

“We need a clear vision from the state. Our sports policy is convoluted and outdated. … Our sports policies and infrastructure are still stuck in the 1960s while the world has moved on to the 21st century,” he said.

Nadeem made history in Paris when he threw his javelin a distance of 92.97 metres and set a new Olympic record [Christian Bruna/EPA]

Investing in athletes

Squash player Noorena Shams, who aims to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where the sport will make its debut, says Nadeem’s success highlights the potential of individual talent despite limited state support.

“This win has raised awareness among the public, sponsors and athletes about the importance of sports. Imagine what Arshad could achieve if he … had world-class support. More importantly, with the right system in place, how many more Arshads could emerge with the necessary support?” the 27-year-old told Al Jazeera.

Lakhani cited the example of Yasir Sultan, Pakistan’s second best javelin thrower, who won a bronze medal at the Asian Athletics Championship in June 2023.

“He was promised 5 million rupees [$18,000] in prize money by the government after winning the medal, but he has yet to receive it. The government must be constantly reminded to fulfil its commitments. They also need to understand that creating elite athletes requires investment,” he said.

Looking ahead, Shahnawaz believes Pakistan must prioritise sports where it has the potential to excel.

“We have a lot of talent in shooting and weightlifting, where athletes have shown they can perform well. It’s up to the government to figure out how to use Arshad’s success to inspire the next generation. There needs to be a career pathway, identifying players from a young age and providing sports scholarships where possible. That way, we can ensure sustainable development of our athletes,” he said.

However, Shahnawaz was not particularly hopeful of a positive outcome after Nadeem’s victory.

“I am not too sure if we could really materialise something from this win. We have had [the same] people running our various sports bodies for 10 to 15 years. [The] same faces repeatedly take charge, and [the] cycle of disappointment continues,” Shahnawaz said. “Most of the officials don’t have [the] vision to expand their sports or generate revenue or create something new to progress. They are merely happy with the way things are.”