By Asif Naveed
RIYADH (MNN); Pakistan delivered an outstanding performance in the men’s javelin final at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, where Arshad Nadeem successfully retained his gold medal and fellow thrower Muhammad Yasir claimed silver.
Arshad entered the seven-man competition as the overwhelming favourite, with his exceptional personal best of 92.97m — the distance that earned him Olympic gold and a Games record in Paris 2024 — far surpassing those of his rivals. As expected, he took the lead from the outset and remained the only athlete to cross the 80m mark, though he appeared visibly unsatisfied with several of his attempts.
The 28-year-old sealed the gold with an 83.05m throw on his second attempt. Yasir secured silver with an impressive final-round effort of 76.04m, overtaking Nigeria’s Samuel Adams Kure, who settled for bronze after a 76.01m throw.
Only a small crowd was present inside Prince Faisal Bin Stadium, but Pakistani supporters gathered near the javelin sector, waving national flags and recording the action on their phones.
Arshad began with a modest 75.44m throw before breaching the 80m barrier on his next two attempts. His fourth throw measured 77.06m and his fifth was ruled a no-throw. Before his final attempt, he turned toward the stands and prompted rhythmic clapping, drawing energy from the spectators.
His last effort of 77.98m did not impact the final standings, and upon confirming his victory, Arshad fell in prostration before congratulating fellow competitors adjusting their jackets in the cool 20-degree Riyadh evening.
Arshad had also won gold in the previous edition of the Games in 2022 with an 88.55m throw, which had set a new record at the time.
