It’s all or nothing for Arshad Nadeem in Paris

Arshad Nadeem is the best he can be. Yet, he has nothing. At least, nothing that makes him the best in the world. But he’s almost there, on the very cusp of it: a javelin throw away from making history and ending Pakistan’s three-decade long wait for an Olympic medal. It’s now about waiting and watching, and trusting the process. And praying. The only talisman he carries every competition is “puri mulk ke duaien.” He will do so again at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, when he steps into the Stade...
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DAWN.COM •

Haider Ali wins bronze in Paris, 4th paralympic medal of his career

Pakistan’s Haider Ali won bronze in the Men’s Discus Throw F37 on Friday with a 52.54m throw, clinching his fourth Paralympic medal. Uzbekistan’s Tolibboy Yuldashev took home gold with a massive 57.28m throw, setting a personal best on his sixth attempt. Canada’s Jesse Zesseu won silver with a 53.24m throw. A jubilant Ali could be seen taking his victory lap after the competition was over, hugging the other medallists and competitors in the process. Ali led the field in the first attempt with a...
DAWN.COM •

Meet Haider Ali, Pakistan’s star Paralympian

Twenty years ago, Haider Ali was a teenager from Gujranwala living with Cerebral Palsy. He didn’t know he’d be a Paralympic champion someday, but today, he’s going in to defend his title in the Men’s Discus Throw F37. The journey to this point has been a long one, but Ali has been well-supported every step of the way. It was 2005 when Ali’s talent caught the eye of sports officials at a training camp in Faisalabad. After being classified for para sports by national classifier Dr Rabab, Ali was g...
Aurora Magazine •

The Making of Arshad Nadeem

A single 92.97 metre javelin throw on a balmy summer evening in Paris was all it took to rouse Pakistan’s sporting glory from the deep slumber it had fallen into. The country was thirsting for an end to its Olympic medal drought and Arshad Nadeem went above and beyond the call of duty to deliver what was so desperately lacking: a sense of accomplishment, unity through sports, and renewed hope. So earth-shattering was his performance that even his coach, Salman Butt, was surprised by what his pro...
DAWN.COM •

Arshad Nadeem on top of the world

PARIS: Pakistani gold medallist Arshad Nadeem (centre) poses on the podium alongside Grenada’s Anderson Peters and India’s Neeraj Chopra at the Stade de France.—AFP KARACHI: Arshad Nadeem walked out of shadows and straight into the history books on Friday, after his 92.97m gold medal throw and Olympic record became the cause célèbre for a nation thirsting for good news. There were tears in his eyes as the Pakistani nati­onal anthem boomed across the Stade de France after he was crowned an O...
DAWN.COM •

Arshad Nadeem beams as he wears Olympic gold medal for historic 92.97m javelin throw

Arshad Nadeem was awarded his gold medal on Friday after winning the men’s javelin throw with a monstrous 92.97m throw which shattered the Olympic record a day earlier. The 27-year-old stepped up to the podium to massive applause from the crowd, holding the coveted medal up to the camera. With one hand on his chest, Nadeem sang the national anthem as he watched Pakistan’s flag being raised after 40 years at an Olympic stadium. In a post earlier today on X, Nadeem dedicated his gold medal as a gi...
DAWN.COM •

Javelin star Arshad Nadeem ends Pakistan’s 40-year wait for Olympic gold

Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record on Thursday and ended Pakistan’s 32-year wait for success at the Games by clinching the coveted gold medal in the men’s javelin final in Paris. The Mian Channu-born was slow off the blocks, registering a no-throw on his first attempt of the night but shocked everyone on his second attempt, with a monstrous 92.97-m throw, which the rest of the field could not even come close for the rest of the competition. Beh...
DAWN.COM •

‘It’s what got me here’: Arshad Nadeem seeks nation’s prayers for Olympics javelin final

Pakistan’s superstar athlete Arshad Nadeem in a video message from Paris asked the nation for prayers ahead of the javelin final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. “Thank you for your prayers, and please continue praying for my success in the final,” he said in a video message on Wednesday. A day earlier, the 27-year-old cruised into Thursday night’s final with a solid 86.59m throw at the Stade de France, his first and only attempt of the qualifier round, which was also his season’s best....
DAWN.COM •

Arshad Nadeem cruises to Olympic javelin final with 86.59m season best throw

Arshad Nadeem cruised to the Olympic javelin final with a solid 86.59m throw in Tuesday’s qualifier round at Stade de France, keeping the nation’s hopes for an Olympic medal well and alive. His season best throw, the first and only of the qualifier, ranks him fourth heading into Thursday’s night finals. Reigning Olympic and world champion India’s Neeraj Chopra led the field with a massive 89.34m throw, also a season best. Sandwiched between the two South Asians were Grenada’s Anderson Peters in...
DAWN.COM •

It’s all or nothing for Arshad Nadeem in Paris

Arshad Nadeem is the best he can be. Yet, he has nothing. At least, nothing that makes him the best in the world. But he’s almost there, on the very cusp of it: a javelin throw away from making history and ending Pakistan’s three-decade long wait for an Olympic medal. It’s now about waiting and watching, and trusting the process. And praying. The only talisman he carries every competition is “puri mulk ke duaien.” He will do so again at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, when he steps into the Stade...
DAWN.COM •

Olympics 2024: Shooter GM Bashir finishes 15th in 25m rapid fire pistol, misses out on final

Three-time Olympian Ghulam Mustafa Bashir placed 15th in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol qualifying round on Sunday, ending his hopes of making it to an Olympic final. The veteran shooter scored a 581-19x overall, scoring a 292 (98, 99, 95) in Series 1 and 289 (97, 97, 95) in Series 2. Only the six highest scores progress to the final, which is currently being led by Chinese shooters Yuehong Li (588-30x) and Xinjie Wang (587-24x ). Ukraine’...
DAWN.COM •

Kishmala Talat, Faiqa Riaz bow out of Paris Olympics after failing to qualify for next round

Pakistan’s sole markswoman Kishmala Talat exited the Paris Olympics not with a bang but a whimper after placing 22nd in the Women’s 25m pistol with a final score of 579-18x at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. Friday afternoon’s event marked the third and final shot at Olympic glory for 22-year-old Talat. On Monday, she and compatriot Gulfam Joseph placed 14th in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event, while she placed 31st in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol on Saturday. A 289 in the precision round (95,...
DAWN.COM •

Kishmala Talat, Faiqa Riaz bow out of Paris Olympics after failing to qualify for next round

Pakistan’s sole markswoman Kishmala Talat exited the Paris Olympics not with a bang but a whimper after placing 22nd in the Women’s 25m pistol with a final score of 579-18x at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. Friday afternoon’s event marked the third and final shot at Olympic glory for 22-year-old Talat. On Monday, she and compatriot Gulfam Joseph placed 14th in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event, while she placed 31st in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol on Saturday. A 289 in the precision round (95,...
DAWN.COM •

Olympics 2024: Kishmala, Gulfam finish in 14th place in 10m air pistol mixed team event

An Olympic medal eluded Pakistani shooters yet again as Kishmala Talat and Gulfam Joseph finished 14th in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team qualification round. The duo finished with a final score of 571-17x, scoring 189, 195 and 187 across the three series, ahead of the Turkiye 1 team, Latvia and France. The Turkiye 2 team will be gunning for the top prize against Serbia (581-24x) in Tuesday’s gold medal shootout af...
DAWN.COM •

Kishmala Talat, Gulfam Joseph miss the mark in 10m Air Pistol Olympic qualifiers

High expectations of our Olympians fizzled out on the first day of events in Paris as Kishmala Talat and Gulfam Joseph failed to advance to the finals in their respective 10-metre Air Pistol events. Two-time Olympian Joseph finished 22nd in the qualification round with a final score of 571. Saturday afternoon’s performance was markedly different from his 578 score at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where he narrowly missed the finals with a ninth-place finish. Serbia’s Damir Mikec led the 33-person qual...
DAWN.COM •

Grit, gold and glory: Meet the Pakistani athletes going to the Paris 2024 Olympics

Excellence is a fine line that separates athletes from turning their Olympic dreams into a reality. Every fraction of a second faster, every centimeter farther is a form of perfection crafted over years to culminate in a single moment of athletic supremacy, which is what Olympians are made of. Seven of Pakistan’s best athletes will be walking out — or rather, floating down the Seine— at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Seven is a small number for a contingent representing almost 250 million people, but...