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Arshad Nadeem Wins Pakistan’s First Individual Gold, and Defies Rigged System
His stunning victory at the Olympics shocks the world
Arshad Nadeem found himself on the grandest of stages — an Olympic final.
For Pakistan, the Olympics have always been more of a distant dream than a reality, a place where our presence is a mere footnote in the annals of sporting history.
Pakistan’s participation has often been more a product of goodwill than a genuine threat, with entries bolstered by wildcards handed out to nurture emerging sporting cultures.
This year, Pakistan sent a mere seven athletes to the 2024 Paris Olympics, three of whom were wildcard entries. To put that into perspective, the USA sent 592 athletes, France 573, and Australia 460. In the face of such overwhelming odds, it seemed unlikely that Pakistan would make a significant impact on the global stage.
Yet, all eyes were on Arshad Nadeem, the country’s best hope for Olympic glory. Nadeem had already proven his potential on the international stage, breaking the Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 meters in 2022.
In 2023, he continued to defy expectations, becoming the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, claiming silver.