'Arshad Nadeem's target is LA Olympics javelin gold, not 2026 Commonwealth Games'
Regardless of what happens to the Paris Olympics record maker, things are set in motion for a high-performance academy in his name
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem will be taking on the field at the 2026 Commonwealth Games javelin throw qualifying round on July 30 among 17 other participants in Glasgow, but better things are happening in connection with him, regardless of what happens in the competition.
The Paris Olympics record-maker and gold medallist has undeniably put Pakistan on the map when it comes to track and field events.
While there is a bevy of doubts about his form and lack of international participation at the Diamond Leagues or otherwise, there is more to look forward to, especially benefiting from the 29-year-old’s achievements.
The Government of Pakistan and Pakistan Olympic Association’s delegation met with Loughborough University to come up with a plan for the Arshad Nadeem High-Performance Academy to be established in Pakistan.
“It was a good meeting, and it has initiated the process of making a concept paper and how we can collaborate with Loughborough University; we’ll need the expertise, but the reception from the experts in the UK has been great,” the Pakistan Olympic Association Secretary Khalid Mahmood told Lost on the Desk from Glasgow.
He was accompanied by the Pakistan Sports Board Director General and Member National Assembly Ali Zahid, Arshad Nadeem’s coach Salman Iqbal Butt, and Dr Meesaq Rizvi in the meeting on July 27.
Mahmood explained that the academy will be the Pakistan government’s project.
The Pakistan Olympic Association are acting as a mediator to connect the Government of Pakistan with professional and international platforms needed to gain the best expertise available for this ambitious project.
“We are going to have the basic information about timelines, budgets, and other details of the project in the coming weeks, but the important part is that we are collaborating with the experts who are happy to help us. They are bridging the gap; of course, we have experts in Pakistan as well, but none of them has the experience of building a high-performance academy of this magnitude.
“The Pakistan Olympic Association is playing a major role in coordinating with the government and the international experts and facilities. We are hoping for great results.”
‘Arshad in a better form than he was in Paris’
Meanwhile, Mahmood added that he is hopeful of a great performance by Arshad Nadeem in Glasgow, which will be a follow-up to his 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games performance, when he became the first Asian to break the 90m barrier and took the gold medal with a 90.18m mark. It was also the Games record by Arshad.
Arshad will also be seeing his rival India’s Neeraj Chopra on the field for the first time since the Paris Olympics.
“We must expect top position in the javelin throw event from Arshad,” Mahmood added, as he was making his way to Arshad’s hotel in Glasgow to see him before the competition.
“We are hoping for the best results, and the thing about Commonwealth Games competition in javelin is that it is world-class; it is featuring all the top javelin throwers, from Sri Lanka to South Africa, to other countries.
“Arshad has heavyweight opponents whom he will meet at the world championships and the Olympics, so we must take this perspective when judging his performance and setting our expectations.
“I believe, as someone who has seen him very closely during the Paris Olympics, he is physically stronger than he was back then.
“His physical strength is greater now. Also, I must say that Arshad’s actual target is far greater than the Commonwealth Games; it is the medal in the Los Angeles Olympics, that is what he is aiming for.”
Arshad Nadeem made his first appearance of the 2026 season in Lucerne, Switzerland on July 16. He finished in ninth place, having his season best of 78.47m.
Last year, he took a gold medal at the Asian Championships in South Korea, where his spear travelled to a far shorter distance of 86.40m compared to his Olympic record-making mark of 92.97m.
In September 2025, he competed at the World Championships in Japan. He finished in 10th place with his best throw of 82.75m, and right after it, he took a gold medal at a rather lacklustre Islamic Solidarity Games javelin competition with a throw of 83.05m.
The Khanewal-based athlete has been battling injuries constantly, and underwent calf surgery in the United Kingdom last year.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s second javelin thrower Muhammad Yasir Sultan will also be competing alongside Arshad in Glasgow.
Yasir’s last international outing was also in Riyadh at the Islamic Solidarity Games, where he took a silver medal with a throw of 74.04m.
Yasir’s best performance at an international competition has been 79.93m at the Asian Athletics Championship 2023.