Ahead of Arshad Nadeem's poor Commonwealth Games performance, javelin thrower was 'abandoned' by Pakistan federation, received no funds to hire foreign coaches: Report

Pakistan's Olympic gold medallist in javelin throw, Arshad Nadeem, has come under criticism following his disappointing performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Nadeem finished ninth after registering a throw below 80 metres. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage won the gold medal, while India's Neeraj Chopra and Yashvir Singh claimed silver and bronze respectively.

The disappointing outing has also brought renewed attention to Nadeem's strained relationship with the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation (PAAF), which reportedly distanced itself from the star athlete after a dispute over the retention of coach Salman Butt last year, reported PTI.


According to a source close to Nadeem, both the PAAF and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) made his preparations for the Commonwealth Games difficult in the months leading up to the event.

The source claimed that the athletics federation did not support Nadeem's training programme and left him to prepare largely on his own. Requests related to his training were allegedly ignored, reported PTI.

The source told PTI that the Pakistan Sports Board did not release funds to hire foreign coaches and trainers to assist Nadeem during his training in Lahore.

Nadeem faces critics after poor performance

Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has come in for criticism after his disappointing in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Nadeem finished ninth with a sub-80 effort in Glasgow with Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage winning gold and India’s Neeraj Chopra and Yashvir Singh finishing second and third respectively. The outcome was not unexpected keeping in mind Arshad took part in only one preparatory event in Switzerland in 2026 for the CWG and that he spent all his time training in the hot weather in Lahore without working with any foreign coaches or trainers in person.

Arshad, who has previously trained under South African caoch, Terseus Liebengberg trained with his local coach, Salman Butt and local trainers.

Ironically the weather conditions in Lahore and Glasgow were the opposite.

Arshad, who was the defending champion in the Commonwealth Games after winning the gold in the last CWG in Birmingham in 2022 with a best of 90.12 metres was unable to even cross the 80 metres mark in the finals in Glasgow. He failed to qualify for the final round of eight due to his poor performance dashing Pakistan's hopes of another medal in the games.Arshad’s long serving coach, Salman Butt admitted that Arshad was nowhere his best in the CWG and was under prepared.

While Arshad is also to partially blame for his fall from grace as he clearly didn't look 100 percent fit in the finals, he has also had to battle many issues off the track. The biggest one being the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation totally disowned him after a feud over the retention of Salman Butt as coach last year.