New Delhi: As Pakistanis praised javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem for his performance at Tokyo Olympics, his loss has only added to the chorus to build better sports facilities in the country. Pakistan hasn’t won an Olympic medal since Barcelona 1992, and with every loss in Tokyo – from badminton player Mahoor Shahzad to weightlifter Talha Talib to shooter Gulfam Joseph – the wait got longer by another four years.
As journalist Muhammad Adil Abbasi put it, Arshad Nadeem “won” because his “fight generated a genuine debate”.
In my view you have won the game because your fight generated a genuine debate in the country regarding lack of resources for players, we all are proud of you. #ArshadNadeem pic.twitter.com/O7sx2fRkwx
— Muhammad Adil Abbasi (@AdilabbasiAry) August 8, 2021
Nadeem came fifth in the men’s javelin throw, the event where India’s Neeraj Chopra won the gold. The Indian thrower said it’d have been “good to have Nadeem on the podium too. Asia ka naam ho jata,” CNN-News18 reported. But Nadeem is still no less of a hero for the people of his country.
Arshad Nadeem is nothing but an absolute hero. To fight it out alone to become the fifth best javelin thrower in the world with barely any funding, institutional support or facilities, is an absolutely incredible achievement. pic.twitter.com/690kNEULOr
— Usman (@UsmanAhmad_iam) August 7, 2021
His performance at the Olympics, in the words of Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar, “will motivate and inspire Millions of Pakistanis,” in the years to come.
The whole nation is proud of Arshad Nadeem. He finished in top 5 but his determination will motivate and inspire Millions of Pakistanis.
Punjab Govt will IA ensure more and better sporting facilities for our youth to follow in the footsteps of #TalhaTalib and #ArshadNadeem. ?? pic.twitter.com/7xl94idRFZ
— Usman Buzdar (@UsmanAKBuzdar) August 7, 2021
Thousands came forward on social media to congratulate Nadeem, saying he had won their hearts over.
Thank you Arshad Nadeem for representing Pakistan at the Olympics and giving your best .
You proved yourself and made us proud "Hard Luck Champion" Will win next time InshAllah…❤️
Superior Sports and Success Move together.#Superior_Avengers #olympics2021tokyo #ArshadNadeem— Sameer Nasar (@SameerNasar10) August 8, 2021
The most heartbreaking moment ?? but you won the hearts of 22million people you are a real champ because it is not about winning medals it is about winning hearts and you and @talha_tlb have won the hearts of 22 million people.#ArshadNadeem #TalhaTalib pic.twitter.com/sh85RGtJQ8
— Hassham Bin Tahir (@Hasshambintahir) August 8, 2021
Nadeem’s performance is special also because he is the first Pakistani to become a finalist in athletics at the Olympics. Even though his loss meant that Pakistan returned empty-handed from Tokyo, his qualification into the finals is a small step forward for a nation trying to improve its shambolic Olympic record.
Also read: Talha Talib had a near-miss at Tokyo. But Pakistanis’ worry is small Olympics contingent
Pakistan at the Olympics
Pakistan’s golden age at the Olympics was between 1956 and 1976, with hockey being its claim to fame. Pakistan has won a total of 10 Olympic medals, eight of them in field hockey.
Pakistan won a silver medal in hockey in Melbourne (1956), before winning gold in Rome (1960) and Mexico City (1968), silver medals in Tokyo (1964) and Munich (1972), and a bronze medal in Montreal (1976). This was, scholars note, before the country’s “relative decline and a somewhat less successful period (at least in terms of Olympic hockey results) in the ensuing decades.”
Its success slowly dwindled with every new season. At Rio 2016, Pakistan sent its smallest contingent to the games, consisting of seven athletes – an indictment of the country’s declining sports culture. The hockey team couldn’t even qualify.
A scathing article in The Express Tribune described it as such: “And it is no surprise that Pakistan’s hockey team — usually the country’s strongest side in Olympics — failed to qualify for the Games for the first time in their history, coinciding with the overall downfall of sports in the nation. The prevalent system fuels the stranglehold of officials instead of promoting and producing athletes.”
Also read: Pakistani shuttler Mahoor Shahzad reached Tokyo Olympics. Now she’s serving apologies
‘Build sports facilities’
Tokyo Olympics has raised the demand for better sports facilities and infrastructure in Pakistan.
Nadeem himself told a news portal that he felt “ashamed” by not bringing home a medal, and that the current sports infrastructure spelled doom for athletes hoping to win medals.
“With the given facilities, we can only win hearts, not medals,” Nadeem told Arab News, adding, “Other sports are not on the priority list of the government. All governments have been obsessed with cricket.” He said Pakistan has “enough talent, but hardly any facilities. It needs to be worked out.”
His fans can’t help but agree.
I want the “PRIME MINISTER” of Pakistan to watch the “FACILITIES” and learn the most important lesson that sports taught me: "YOU ONLY LOSE WHEN YOU DON’T INVEST WELL IN ATHLETES." https://t.co/HXPcViyS1Z
— Ameer Muavia ?? (@ameeer307) August 8, 2021
Khan Sahib you want youth to learn from watching TV and videos ?How about providing them sports facilities and out door gyms so they can actually learn ,train and make it international sports events #Olympics bcz you as Prime minister of #Pakistan can actually do it https://t.co/mWGh1GTqC6
— Laila Shabeer Ahmed (@lailashabeer) August 8, 2021
(Edited by Prashant Dixit)