Olympic gold medallist, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, presents Trophy ahead of NZ vs SA CT 2025 semifinal
Olympic gold medallist, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, presents Trophy ahead of NZ vs SA CT 2025 semifinal
As fans streamed into the Gaddafi Stadium on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, they were treated to an unexpected delight. Before the second semifinal of the Champions Trophy between New Zealand and South Africa commenced, Arshad Nadeem — Pakistan’s Olympic javelin gold medallist — carried the trophy to the centre, greeted by resounding chants of his name from the crowd.
Dressed in a crisp white shirt and a black blazer, Arshad waved to the fans as he made his way around the ground before taking his seat in the premium lounge to watch the match. Though he politely declined media interactions, he did not disappoint his admirers, graciously posing for pictures, signing autographs, and taking selfies.
Arshad made history as Pakistan’s first individual Olympic gold medallist and the country’s first athletics medallist at the Summer Games. The towering 6’3” javelin thrower dominated the Paris 2024 final, setting an Olympic and Asian record of 92.97m — 3.52m ahead of defending champion Neeraj Chopra, who secured silver with a throw of 89.45m.
In recent months, he has been training at the Punjab Stadium in Lahore under the guidance of his coach, Salman Butt. He is expected to compete in the National Games in May before turning his focus to international commitments.
As he watched the semifinal from the lounge, fans eagerly approached him — not just for photographs, but also with questions about his training regimen, favourite food, and daily life. And with the warmth of a true champion, Arshad answered them all with a smile.
