RIYADH: Pakistan asserted complete dominance in the men’s javelin throw at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games on Thursday, with Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem comfortably defending his title and teammate Muhammad Yasir securing silver in a dramatic final round finish.
Arshad, widely regarded as one of the world’s elite throwers, entered the seven-man final as the outstanding favourite. His personal best of 92.97 metres achieved at the Paris 2024 Olympics towered over the rest of the field, and he quickly reaffirmed his supremacy.
The 28-year-old claimed gold with a best throw of 83.05m, delivered on his second attempt. Although well short of the 88.55m effort that gave him gold and a Games record in the previous edition, Arshad remained unchallenged throughout, emerging as the only athlete to cross the 80m mark. Spectators and commentators alike showered him with praise, even as he appeared dissatisfied with several of his attempts.
A small but spirited Pakistani crowd clustered near the javelin sector of the Prince Faisal Bin Stadium, waving flags and filming every moment as the country’s most celebrated athlete stepped onto the track for his final throw. Arshad turned to the fans, urging them to clap rhythmically a familiar ritual. His last attempt travelled 77.98m, a distance irrelevant to the standings but symbolic of his return after injury. He immediately bent in prostration upon securing gold.
Yasir’s silver required grit and timing. The 27-year-old recorded modest marks in his first five attempts with his best at 74.43m and was placed for bronze. But he delivered under pressure in the final round, launching a 76.04m throw that pushed him past Nigeria’s Samuel Adams Kure, who settled for bronze with 76.01m.
The two medals elevated Pakistan’s tally at the Games to four, following earlier bronze-medal wins by boxers Fatima Zahra and Qudrat Ullah.
Other competitors included Guyana’s Leslain Alvino Baird, Uzbekistan’s Sarvar Ismoilov, Jordan’s Abdulrahman Alazemi, and Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al Abdulghani.
Speaking after the medal ceremony, a visibly relieved Arshad credited the victory to the prayers of the nation.
I’m quite happy because I won this accolade right after my injury, he said. My focus now is on preparing for competitions in 2026. Earlier, I was consumed with my injury, surgery, and recovery. I thank God for letting me get back to this level of fitness.
Yasir, who had been chasing the elusive 80m mark all season, came close to his personal best of 77.43m achieved during the Asian Throwing Championships in South Korea earlier this year.
The Riyadh Games marked Arshad’s third international appearance of the year. His campaign at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships ended prematurely due to calf pain, later requiring surgery. The unusual timing of the Games after the world championships meant most track and field athletes had already concluded their season.
For Pakistan, however, the night belonged to Arshad and Yasir a one-two finish that underlined the nation’s rising stature in global javelin competition.