BEIJING: Chinese netizens joined Pakistanis in celebrating Arshad Nadeem’s historic gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics, as reported by China Economic Net (CEN) on Sunday.
The Stade de France witnessed Pakistani javelin star Arshad Nadeem’s remarkable throw of 92.97 meters in the men’s javelin throw final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In a thrilling performance, Nadeem secured the first-ever individual gold medal for Pakistan, setting a new Olympic record and defeating defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India.
Nadeem’s achievement resonated far beyond the stadium, capturing the admiration of sports enthusiasts worldwide, including Chinese netizens.
Chinese viewers expressed their joy and admiration for the “Ba Tie” – meaning “Pakistani Iron Brother” – on social media platforms. A China Central Television commentator enthusiastically celebrated Nadeem’s powerful throw, while social media was flooded with comments such as “He has given wings to the javelin,” “Incredible! He’s a hero!” and “92.97 meters! Bravo! Congrats Iron Brother! First gold! NEW OLYMPIC RECORD!”
On Weibo, China’s version of X, a trending tag was created: “Nadeem surprises his coach’s sunglasses off,” garnering tens of millions of views. One user humorously remarked, “OMG, the coach’s reaction is adorable; he couldn’t believe his eyes!”
Since its Olympic debut at the London Games in 1948, Pakistan has won a total of 11 medals over 76 years. However, the last gold medal came four decades ago, during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, when the men’s field hockey team took the top prize. Arshad Nadeem’s victory at the Paris Olympics finally ended the country’s 40-year wait for a gold medal.
Nadeem’s throw shattered the previous Olympic record of 90.57 meters, set by the Netherlands’ Andreas Thorkildsen at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to social media to congratulate Nadeem, writing, “You’ve made the whole nation proud, young man.”
