The entire nation sat down at 11:25 pm on Aug 8 to watch Arshad Nadeem compete for gold. A cricket-loving nation sat down to watch a sport that they did not even know much about. The boy from Mian Channu was the only hope for a medal for Pakistan. And, he brought smiles to the faces of the people by shattering many records in the history of the Olympics. The boy delivered. He won gold and the hearts of 240 million people at the same time. It was a magical moment that could only be felt. Pakistan won gold after 40 years and a medal after 32 years.
Arshad’s gold medal also put an end to a continuous shame Pakistan had to go through for the last 32 years for being medal-less.
The nation celebrated. Promises were made and prizes were announced. But, If Pakistan fails to utilize Arshad’s historic gold to convince an entire generation to take up sports and make Pakistan proud then all the celebrations and enthusiasm that Pakistan showed after Arshad’s victory will be mere good optics and nothing else.
Arshad’s gold medal has to be the biggest sporting achievement in the history of Pakistan. And, it is now the responsibility of the government to present him as a role model for future athletes before time runs out
The amount of recognition and prizes that Arshad just received after winning gold is his hard-earned reward. But, if all this enthusiasm among officials and people doesn’t produce considerable numbers of players for the next Olympics, the government and sports authorities will be responsible. Arshad’s victory is his hard-earned glory. The country is indebted to him for the pride he has brought to the country.
Now with every passing day a new prize is being announced for Arshad and a new promise is being made. Had all those pouring in money now spent a little less on him earlier, he would not have been begging for a new javelin earlier this year.
Arshad secured 5th position in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and gold in the Commonwealth Games in 2022 before getting gold in the Paris Olympics 2024. This tells a lot about the struggle and commitment of a young man hailing from a small village to make Pakistan proud.
Despite his proven credentials, he was appealing for a javelin a couple of months back. Imagine the difficulties of young athletes who are new and are yet to make their mark.
Arshad did his best. The stage was set for him and he has achieved in a single Olympics what many aspire to achieve throughout their lives. He will continue to bring glory to Pakistan in the future because he is a self-made athlete who has immense love for the country. And, has still many more medals in his sight.
But, here the need of the hour is to divert the attention of the authorities towards the sorry state of the affairs of sports in Pakistan other than cricket which gets all the attention and hype but gives back nothing
Time and again individual efforts have made history and brought pride to the country. Arshad’s effort is also an individual effort. We have seen glimpses of brilliance in other sports in recent times. Hockey players have proven that they have got what is required at the international level. The craze of football is also rising and players are also putting in their best efforts. In the past, many individual efforts have created moments of brilliance for the country. Muhammad Asif became the world snooker champion. Nooh Dastagir won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in weightlifting but could not participate in the Olympics.
So it is high time Arshad’s efforts don’t go in vain. The government should make revolutionary decisions and utilize Arshad’s triumphant campaign to install a new ray of hope among players. The next Olympics should be a litmus test of the current government.
It was such a shame that only seven athletes represented Pakistan in the Olympics. The next Olympics should see a considerable amount of Pakistani athletes and many more medals.
Arshad Nadeem won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championship in 2023. He is the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal in the championships. It was a great achievement as well. But, hardly any people knew about this achievement. The reason is that all the hype and attention is given to cricket only. The way the media is currently celebrating Arshad’s victory is a positive sign.
The other aspect that needs to be paid attention to amid Arshad’s victory is the proper coverage of other sports and athletes. They should be celebrated and cherished. It will help different sports to thrive and players willing to take up a sport will get motivation.
The government celebrating athletes after they get recognition is not new. Hockey players played well recently and they got instant appreciation from the PM with some cash as well. Similarly, Arshad is getting all the recognition and prizes. The government has announced a civil award for him as well. Arshad Nadeem deserves everything. He deserves every bit of appreciation, recognition, prizes, and awards. He has indebted the entire nation
But, Pakistan will only be able to pay his debt if they take steps to ensure that no more player like Arshad Nadeem is left behind. There are many players like Arshad Nadeem in the country and they just need proper guidance and a platform.
The nation is charged. Almost everyone in Pakistan now recognizes Arshad Nadeem and the javelin sport. Arshad Nadeem’s success will motivate many new young players to venture into athletics. Hence, it is now the responsibility of the government and sports authorities along with the media to make sure that this vibrant atmosphere just doesn’t disappear without creating a lasting impact in the history of sports in Pakistan.
The brilliance of Arshad Nadeem has to be backed up by the government to develop a system that creates future sportspersons without any hindrance. It has to make sure that no sports person should ever be left behind again in the future.
Arshad’s gold medal has to be the biggest sporting achievement in the history of Pakistan. And, it is now the responsibility of the government to present him as a role model for future athletes before time runs out.
