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KARACHI: The country's premier javelin thrower and Olympian Arshad Nadeem was scheduled to fly out of Lahore for the United States late Thursday night to flex his muscles in the World Athletics Championships to be held in Eugene, Oregon, from July 15-24.
This is the second time that the Asian Games bronze medalist will be taking part in the global event.
For the first time in his career he had appeared in the World Championships in Doha in 2019. Although he did not qualify for the finals but at least pulled off his personal best of 81.52m which was also a new national record.
Having finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics with an 84.62 metre effort last year, Arshad did not feature in any event since then. And the global event in Eugene will be a real test of his temperament. It will be interesting to see whether he will be able to pull off his best throw or not.
As many as 32 javelin throwers from 20 nations are set to compete in the javelin throw event. The event's gold hopeful and reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, 2017 World Championship silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, Tokyo Olympics champion Neeraj Chopra of India, Oliver Helander of Finland, Julian Weber of Germany, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, and Andreas Hofmann of Germany are in top form.
The competition will be missing the 2017 world champion and 2019 bronze medalist Johannes Vetter. The 29-year-old German, second on the all-time list with 97.76m, is out with a shoulder injury.
Carrying an elbow injury which Arshad developed in April last year in an event in Iran where he also recorded his personal best throw of 86.38m, it will be interesting to see how he delivers in the US.
A senior official of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) is hopeful that Arshad will deliver in the US. “I am very much confident he will put in his best,” AFP secretary Mohammad Zafar told 'The News' from Lahore on Thursday.
Zafar is also accompanying Arshad during his US journey.
They will also be joined by the AFP president Major General (retd) Akram Sahi who is scheduled to leave for the US on July 18. Asked whether his injury will be of any concern for Arshad during the event, Zafar said he is feeling well.
“Arshad is in top shape and is training here at Lahore. He resumed training on July 12 after spending Eid with his family,” Zafar said.
Zafar revealed that London-based orthopedic specialist Dr Ali Sher Bajwa has been treating Arshad's injury. “We had involved him when Arshad was in South Africa and he is treating him well. Dr Bajwa will also come to the US to see Arshad,” he said.
Arshad will compete in the qualification phase in Eugene on July 21 and on July 23 he will fight in the finals if he is able to qualify.
Zafar said that Arshad would then directly go to Birmingham from the US to feature in the Commonwealth Games pencilled in for July 28 to August 8.
Arshad early this year underwent a two-month training in South Africa under South African coach Terseus Liebenberg. It is expected that Terseus will also handle Arshad during the World Championship.
“Terseus is coming to the US with his South African team and we will meet him there,” Zafar said.
Zafar did not exactly know whether Arshad would go directly from Birmingham to Konya, Turkey, which will host the Islamic Games slated to be held from August 9-18.
“We do not yet know the actual schedule. Yes we know that Arshad will go directly from the US to Birmingham on July 24,” Zafar said.
This is the second time that the Asian Games bronze medalist will be taking part in the global event.
For the first time in his career he had appeared in the World Championships in Doha in 2019. Although he did not qualify for the finals but at least pulled off his personal best of 81.52m which was also a new national record.
Having finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics with an 84.62 metre effort last year, Arshad did not feature in any event since then. And the global event in Eugene will be a real test of his temperament. It will be interesting to see whether he will be able to pull off his best throw or not.
As many as 32 javelin throwers from 20 nations are set to compete in the javelin throw event. The event's gold hopeful and reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, 2017 World Championship silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, Tokyo Olympics champion Neeraj Chopra of India, Oliver Helander of Finland, Julian Weber of Germany, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, and Andreas Hofmann of Germany are in top form.
The competition will be missing the 2017 world champion and 2019 bronze medalist Johannes Vetter. The 29-year-old German, second on the all-time list with 97.76m, is out with a shoulder injury.
Carrying an elbow injury which Arshad developed in April last year in an event in Iran where he also recorded his personal best throw of 86.38m, it will be interesting to see how he delivers in the US.
A senior official of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) is hopeful that Arshad will deliver in the US. “I am very much confident he will put in his best,” AFP secretary Mohammad Zafar told 'The News' from Lahore on Thursday.
Zafar is also accompanying Arshad during his US journey.
They will also be joined by the AFP president Major General (retd) Akram Sahi who is scheduled to leave for the US on July 18. Asked whether his injury will be of any concern for Arshad during the event, Zafar said he is feeling well.
“Arshad is in top shape and is training here at Lahore. He resumed training on July 12 after spending Eid with his family,” Zafar said.
Zafar revealed that London-based orthopedic specialist Dr Ali Sher Bajwa has been treating Arshad's injury. “We had involved him when Arshad was in South Africa and he is treating him well. Dr Bajwa will also come to the US to see Arshad,” he said.
Arshad will compete in the qualification phase in Eugene on July 21 and on July 23 he will fight in the finals if he is able to qualify.
Zafar said that Arshad would then directly go to Birmingham from the US to feature in the Commonwealth Games pencilled in for July 28 to August 8.
Arshad early this year underwent a two-month training in South Africa under South African coach Terseus Liebenberg. It is expected that Terseus will also handle Arshad during the World Championship.
“Terseus is coming to the US with his South African team and we will meet him there,” Zafar said.
Zafar did not exactly know whether Arshad would go directly from Birmingham to Konya, Turkey, which will host the Islamic Games slated to be held from August 9-18.
“We do not yet know the actual schedule. Yes we know that Arshad will go directly from the US to Birmingham on July 24,” Zafar said.
really happy we went on to pursue Javelin.
