Arshad Nadeem keeps watching videos of Neeraj Chopra on his mobile phone, says father Muhammad Ashraf

“Sade pind da ek ek banda Arshad nu TV te dekh raha si. Sareya nu pata si ki savere kam te jana hai par duniya de level te apne puttar nu medal jeetan da mauka kise kise nu milda hai (Our whole village was watching Arshad compete last night. Almost everybody knew that they had to go to work in the morning, including me, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to see my son win a medal at the world level),” Ashraf told The Indian Express on phone from Mian Channu.

On Sunday night, the neighbourhood also hired an LCD and installed it at a roundabout in the town where more than 500 people watched the action. “I did not understand the throws and all but when Arshad was presented the medal after the event, I knew that he had done something big at the world level,” said Ashraf.

“He has done the village as well as Pakistan and the Asian continent proud. All his brothers and sisters were cheering when he won the medal. India da munda gold jeetya te Arshad hamesha ohre bare gal karda hai. (A boy from India has won the gold. Arshad often talks about him whenever he is at home).”
A young Arshad would often watch villagers compete in nejabazi (tent pegging) in and around his village. He would also play tape-ball cricket for some time before he took to the javelin. Last year, he won the gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a throw of 90.18m. After that, he competed in two tournaments before suffering elbow and shoulder injuries.

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“When he was at home during the injury, he would talk about javelin and the similarities between tent pegging and javelin. He would tell us that it’s as precise as tent pegging and the right angle and velocity has to be achieved in javelin too. He would often watch YouTube videos and we would see the Indian boy on his mobile phone,” said Ashraf.

Tough times

“We have seen days when I would earn 300-400 rupees a day and I had to support nine beings at home. But we made sure that Arshad and his siblings got milk and ghee. Even now, when he returns to the village after winning a Worlds medal, he will ask for a glass of milk and dishes made of desi ghee.”

According to his father, Arshad has not forgotten his humble roots.

“He would often train at the village school and still does when he visits the village. Whenever he is in Lahore, he trains with his coach. His coach guides him during his training at the village school too. Most of the homes in our street are mud houses and we have got a cemented house in recent years. I hope this medal will guide people to visit and meet Arshad at our village for guidance about javelin throw,” Ashraf said.

The family had migrated from a village in Ferozepur district in Indian Punjab during Partition and settled in Burewala before moving to Mian Channu.

“I have been lucky that with my daily masonry earnings and whatever I could manage, all of my five sons and two daughters are well settled now. But Arshad has no sponsors and every day he has to think about his competitions and the support. Due to the high monthly gas bill, we had to cut the connection and put in a coal pit for cooking,” Ashraf lamented.

After the Commonwealth Games gold medal, Arshad received a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh from the Pakistani government. Many people felicitated him with money at various private functions and the family has now bought a new home in the town. Ashraf, who was doing masonry on Monday afternoon when this newspaper called him, sees the cash prizes as stepping stones in Arshad’s dreams of winning an Olympic medal for Pakistan.

“Prior to the Worlds, he suffered a knee injury. When he was at home, his knee was taped up most of the time. Last year, when he was given the cash award, he had said that seeing Pakistan’s flag on the podium is his dream and he is realising that dream. I know he will now aim for a medal at the Olympics next year and Inshallah he will win it for Pakistan,” Ashraf added.