The talented athlete from Pakistan and Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem recently gave insights into how he went from playing cricket to becoming the best javelin thrower in the world.

Arshad disclosed that his first love was cricket, in which he was a talented bowler who represented All-Punjab. But eventually, he had to give up on his cricket goals because of the difficulties in making progress.

After quitting cricket, Arshad experimented with kabaddi and football, where he played as a fullback, before deciding to pursue athletics.

He took part in many track and field events as well as shot put, discus throw, and hammer throw.

Arshad’s coach, Rashid Ahmed Saqi, saw his potential in the javelin throw and encouraged him to concentrate only on it because of his powerful build, which was ideal for the sport. Arshad committed himself to javelin throw after listening to his coach’s guidance, and he soon became well-known on the national scene.

Arshad became a member of WADA LESCO in 2015. In 2016, he participated in his first international competition in Guwahati, India, with Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra, breaking the national record for Pakistan in the throw.