Arshad Nadeem is confident that his fitness and preparations will help him end Pakistan’s three-decade-long Olympic medal drought at the Paris Games.
Pakistan has not won an Olympic medal since the 1992 Games, but the star javelin thrower asserted on Tuesday that he will “try his best” to secure a podium finish in the French capital.
“I’m fit and well-prepared, and I’ve worked really hard for this prestigious event,” he told reporters before heading to Paris. “I believe I can achieve my goal of winning a medal.”
The 27-year-old will compete in the qualification round on August 6, with the final set for two days later.
As Pakistan’s flag-bearer at the Olympics, Arshad is the nation’s top hope, having won gold at the Commonwealth Games two years ago. He also finished as the runner-up at the World Athletics Championship the following year and will face off again with India’s Neeraj Chopra in Paris.
“I will continue my training in Paris to make further improvements before the event. If everything goes as planned, I hope to win a medal for the country,” Arshad said. “The target is high, but my ambitions are too, and I feel in great shape to achieve this and make the nation proud.”
Arshad, who finished fifth in Tokyo 2021 and was the first Pakistani athlete to qualify for the Games, also highlighted the need for more training facilities for athletes in Pakistan.
