Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem threw a massive 86.40m to win gold in the men’s javelin final at the Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea, on Saturday.

India’s Sachin Yadav took silver with an 85.16m and Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama took home bronze with an 83.75m throw. Both athletes threw a personal best.

After leading the field in the first few throws, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage was bumped off the podium to finish fourth with an 83.27m throw.

India’s Yash Vir Singh finished fifth with an 82.57m personal best throw. China’s Hu Haoran threw a season best 80.93m to finish sixth, while Sri Lanka’s Sumedha Jagath Ranasinghe Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage finsihed seventh with a 79.81m throw.

Pakistan’s Muhammad Yasir finished eighth with a 75.39m throw.

In a post on Instagram, Nadeem wrote: “This victory belongs to the Almighty first — His blessings, His will. Without His grace, none of this would be possible.

“To my coaches, my team, my family, and every Pakistani who prayed for me — this medal is yours. Your support fuels my journey,” he added.

Speaking to Dawn.com after the final, Nadeem’s coach Salman Butt said: “It was a good performance, especially since this was his first competition of the season.

“If there had been one day of rest between [yesterday’s] heats and finals, he would have had more recovery and a better throw. But this is a good start,” he said.

Nadeem’s triumph marks the first time Pakistan has won gold at the Asian Athletics Championship in 50 years.

Nadeem, who holds the Olympic record after throwing a monstrous 92.97m at Paris 2024, narrowly missed breaking the championship record of 86.72m.

Nadeem had a slow start in the competition, throwing 75.64m and 76.80m on his first and second attempts before bagging top spot with an 85.57m throw on his third attempt. He then threw 83.99m and 83.44m before flexing his muscles and throwing a commanding 86.40m to win gold in his sixth and final attempt in true Arshad Nadeem fashion.

All eyes were on Nadeem as he stepped up to the field for his first throw and the audience waved Pakistani flags.

‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ was blaring in the stadium as the crowd anticipated a massive throw from the javelin superstar, who is competing internationally for the first time since last year’s Paris Olympics.

Nadeem was in a state of prostation after winning gold, as his become characteristic of the 28-year-old who added another feather to his cap.

He bagged gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, followed by a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Nadeem will soon be going to England to prepare for September’s World Athletics Championships, the only major tournament where he has yet to win gold.

In yesterday’s heats, Nadeem threw an impressive 86.34m throw on his first and only attempt to cruise into today’s final. Yasir qualified for the final with a 76.07m throw in the heats.

After he punched his ticket to the final, Nadeem took to Instagram to say: “As always I would need your support and prayers.”

Nadeem’s gold is Pakistan’s first and only medal at the championship.

Earlier in the week, Pakistan’s fastest female sprinter Tameem Khan finished 17th in the Women’s 100m heats with a 12.14.

Meanwhile, top sprinter Shajar Abbas ran a 47.17 in the Men’s 400m heats, and a 47.38 in the semi-finals, where he finished 12th. Compatriot Abdul Mueed ran a 50.10 in the heats and finished 27th.

Ahead of the championship, Nadeem was awarded Best Male Athlete of the Year by Asian Athletics.

Felicitations pour in

President Asif Ali Zardari said Nadeem “has once again brought glory to Pakistan” as he congratulated the 28-year-old on his win.

“He had excellent performance throughout the championship, including in the final,” the president was quoted as saying in a post on X by PPP.

“I congratulate the entire nation on this victory and pray for his success in the future.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Nadeem’s “hard work, dedication and outstanding success are a worthy example for young athletes.

“The glory of the crescent flag has increased after Arshad’s outstanding performance,” he said on X.

The cricket fraternity was quick to congratulate Nadeem, with T20 Vice Captain Shadab Khan calling his win “another proud moment for the nation.”

“What a throw, what a champ! Arshad Nadeem you beauty!” he said on X.

Former T20 captains Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi also felicitated Nadeem on their Instagram Stories.

The Pakistan Cricket Board posted on X, saying: “Gold for Pakistan!”