From Mud Brick Home to Olympic Gold, a Pakistani Hero Rises

From Mud Brick Home to Olympic Gold a Pakistani Hero Rises

Arshad Nadeem’s home village erupted in celebration after he won Pakistan’s first Olympic medal in athletics, taking gold in the men’s javelin and surpassing defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India. Nadeem's victory in Paris on Thursday is particularly remarkable given his humble beginnings in a mud-brick house in rural Pakistan, where he trained in wheat fields with homemade javelins.

News of his triumph, which reached Pakistan late at night, sparked nationwide excitement, with messages of congratulations from leaders and joyous celebrations, including dancing and fireworks, in his usually quiet village of Mian Channu. "We haven’t slept since last night as people have been visiting to congratulate us," his older brother Shahid Nadeem told Reuters.

Despite limited sports funding in Pakistan, which is typically directed towards cricket and hockey, Nadeem's record-breaking 92.97-meter throw secured the country’s first Olympic medal since the 1992 Barcelona Games and its first gold since the 1984 Los Angeles Games. In a post on social media platform X, Nadeem dedicated the gold medal to the nation in honor of Independence Day.

Nadeem, 27, married with two children, comes from a large, impoverished family in the Khanewal region, where access to basic amenities like water and electricity is scarce, let alone sports facilities. Initially, he and his brothers trained with makeshift javelins and weightlifting equipment they created themselves. Conditions improved when Nadeem joined the local power utility Wapda, which had its own sports facilities.

Nadeem had still been training with substandard equipment until a last-minute appeal prompted the Pakistani government to provide proper javelins, which he brought from South Africa. His mother, Razia Parveen, expressed her gratitude to God and also extended congratulations to India’s silver medalist Chopra and his family.

Nadeem’s brothers, all sports enthusiasts, had to give up their ambitions to support the family, but Nadeem's persistence in pursuing his passion now promises to change their fortunes. Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a cash prize of Rs100mn ($359,195) for his hard work, and Nadeem is expected to receive a hero’s welcome upon his return to Pakistan.

The US embassy in Islamabad praised Nadeem on social media, saying, "Arshad is living proof that when you dream big, train hard, and never give up, nothing is impossible."