Arshad Nadeem would have won a gold medal in Olympics with his hard work but Shahbaz government resorted to shamelessness, know how

Arshad Nadeem: Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who won an Olympic gold medal amid the failure of the sports system and administrative apathy in Pakistan, knows well the struggles and sacrifices he had to face to achieve this historic success.

Government institutions that failed to provide help to Nadeem in his hour of need are now competing to take credit for his success. This list includes Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (Sports) and top officials of the government.

A few months before the Paris Olympics, Nadeem had to request that he be provided with a new javelin as his old one had worn out after years of use. Nadeem had to take the help of ‘crowd funding’ for this.

Compared to other athletes who participated in the Paris Olympics javelin throw final, including Indian superstar Neeraj Chopra, Nadeem did not get a chance to train under the best coaches or compete consistently in international competitions due to lack of funds.

He also underwent knee surgery before the Olympics, and due to lack of money, he had no choice but to practice at the Punjab Sports Complex in the scorching heat along with dozens of other amateur players.

Even in this situation, the government, the state-run Pakistan Sports Board, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and even Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif were quick to take credit for his success. The Prime Minister was the first to congratulate Nadeem, but what surprised the people of Pakistan was his claim that it was his foresight that helped Nadeem prepare for this medal.

In a video released by the Prime Minister’s Office soon after the javelin throw final, the Prime Minister is seen jumping and applauding Nadeem’s success and the Punjab Sports Minister is seen telling him, “Sir, it was your vision, you gave me a chance.” The Punjab Sports Minister was referring to the Punjab Games held when Shahbaz was the Chief Minister of the province.

PSB was also not behind in taking credit, claiming that it provided all possible help to Nadeem and spent Rs 1 crore on his surgery besides giving him a cash reward.

The PSB is responsible for distributing funds to all national associations allocated by the government in their annual budgets. “No matter how big claims the PSB and Pakistan Olympic Association make, the truth is that serious efforts need to be made to support and encourage non-cricket athletes in the country,” said a disgruntled member of the POA.

Pakistan’s legendary squash player Jahangir Khan said that as a sportsperson he knows how much hard work, sacrifice, sweat, blood and tears it takes to win individual medals. “In individual sports you are fighting against yourself to achieve success. If our sports system was working properly, we would be producing more world-class athletes considering the talent we have,” he said.