LAHORE: Arshad Nadeem is relying on his fitness and thorough preparations to end Pakistan’s over three-decade-long Olympic medal drought at the Paris Games.
Pakistan has not won an Olympic medal since the 1992 Olympics. However, the star javelin thrower emphasized on Tuesday that he will “try his best” to secure a podium finish in the French capital.
“I’m fit and well-prepared, and I’ve worked really hard for this prestigious event,” he told reporters before his departure to Paris. “I feel I can achieve my goal of winning a medal.”
The 27-year-old is set to compete in the qualification round on August 6, with the final scheduled two days later.
Arshad, who will be Pakistan’s flag-bearer at the Olympics, is the nation’s leading hope after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games two years ago. He finished as runner-up at the World Athletics Championship a year later and is set to renew his rivalry with India’s Neeraj Chopra in Paris.
“I will continue my training in Paris to bring further improvement before competing in the event, and if everything goes to plan, I will get a medal for the country at the Olympics,” Arshad added. “Yes, the target is high, but my ambitions are also high, and I am feeling in great shape to deliver and make the nation proud.”
Arshad, who finished fifth at the Tokyo Games in 2021 after becoming the first athlete from Pakistan to qualify for the Games, stressed that the country needs more venues for athletes to train.
