Lahore (Sports Desk): Fiaz Ahmed Bukhari, the early coach of Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem, who won the javelin throw gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has expressed disappointment over his protégé’s recent performances. However, he believes Nadeem can achieve further international success through modern training methods and hard work.
Bukhari, who serves as a technical coach at Pakistan WAPDA, made these remarks while speaking at the 54th National Athletics Championship at NED University in Karachi. He said Arshad Nadeem’s life had been defined by hard work and struggle.
He explained that Nadeem, who was born in Mian Channu, Khanewal, had the physical stature and strength suited to sports. Initially, he played cricket, football and kabaddi, but after recognising his natural abilities, he was encouraged to take up javelin throw.
According to Bukhari, Nadeem worked tirelessly to achieve his goals and began a journey of success. His confidence grew after he won a bronze medal with a throw of 55.33 metres at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati.
At the 2018 Asian Games, he set a national record with a throw of 80.75 metres and secured another bronze medal. He later became the first Pakistani athlete to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he finished fifth with a throw of 84.62 metres.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Nadeem won gold with a throw of 90.18 metres. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he made history with a throw of 92.97 metres, setting an Olympic record and securing Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medal in 40 years. It was also the country’s first Olympic gold in an individual event.
Bukhari said that after the Paris Olympics, Nadeem received honours and rewards from the government, but injuries had affected the consistency of his performances.
According to the former coach, discomfort in Nadeem’s elbow, along with knee and shoulder pain, had prevented him from maintaining his best form. He said that with proper attention to these issues and access to training suited to modern requirements, the athlete could return to peak performance.
Bukhari stressed that Nadeem must receive advanced training and an appropriate strategy to recover from his injuries and win further honours on the international stage.