Arshad Nadeem on Saturday finished fifth in men’s javelin throw event in Tokyo after brilliant performances earlier which placed him as high as fourth at one point in the games.
Nadeem’s javelin covered a distance of 82.91m in opening attempt of the final round and 81.98m in the second.
India’s Neeraj Chopra claimed gold, whereas Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch and Vitezslav Vesely claimed silver and bronze medals. Displaying great sportsman spirit, Arshad congratulated Chopra for winning the title and apologise for his failure to win a medal in a Tweet.
Pakistanis lauded the hard work of the athlete and for making the country proud with many notable personalities taking to Twitter to cheer Arshad.
Singer and television anchor Fakhre Alam said, “#ArshadNadeem you WIN… you defied all the odds stacked against you. Absence of facilities, coaching, organisation […] you were driven with the passion to make your country proud. You did it in your OWN […] YOU WIN”.
#ArshadNadeem you WIN… you defied all the odds stacked against you. Absence of facilities, coaching, organization…you were driven with the passion to make your country proud. You did it in your OWN…YOU WIN… #PakistanZindabad
— Fakhr-e-Alam (@falamb3) August 7, 2021
Senator Faisal Javed Khan said that Nadeem had tried his best, adding that a “true champion is a true champion”.
“They go fight and win or lose, give it their all. You have already made the entire nation proud of you. Better luck next time!”
You tried your best @ArshadJavelin !! Welldone. A true champion is a true champion. They go fight and win or lose, give it their all. You have already made the entire nation proud of you. Better luck next time! #ArshadNadeem#PakistanZindabad
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) August 7, 2021
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that it is not about winning or losing. “It’s about getting out there and putting up a fight. That is what makes you a winner! We are all super proud of you champ!”
Its not about winning or losing. It’s about getting out there and putting up a fight. That is what makes you a winner! We are all super proud of you champ! ♥️🇵🇰#ArshadNadeem pic.twitter.com/gakkjHy2Fy
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) August 7, 2021
Pakistan fielded 10 athletes in 2020 Tokyo Olympics and neither one of them was able to bag any medal for the country.
Pakistan has not won an Olympic medal since 1992. The last Olympic medal for the country was a bronze, claimed by the Hockey team at Barcelona. Before that, Boxer Hussain Shah had brought an individual medal home in 1988.
So in Pakistan, one who gets fifth means missing a 🏅