Coach defends Arshad Nadeem after Worlds flop show, accuses Federation of lack of support

Karachi, Oct 11 (PTI) Salman Iqbal, the coach of Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, has strongly defended his ward in response to the Pakistan Sports Board's (PSB) demand for an explanation following the javelin thrower's 10th-place finish at the World Championships in Tokyo.

The state-run PSB asked Iqbal to give an explanation for Nadeem's performance and also a run down on his training schedules, money spent on him.

Iqbal in his sharp reply sent to the PSB reminded that every top athlete goes through a bad patch and can have a lean period now and then.

Iqbal revaled in his response to the PSB how the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation has totally disassociated itself from Nadeem's training and campaigns for the last year or more.

"Arshad's performance was hampered by the surgery he underwent for his calf muscle problem and in Tokyo the track was hard and the weather hot and humid and this affected performances of many athletes in different events," Iqbal said in his reply.

He also wrote that when the entire country can rejoice Nadeem's achievements he also needs to be supported if for once he has not come up to the expectations.

Iqbal reminded the PSB that he had to seek the help of one of his close friends to set up a training and rehabiliation program for Nadeem in South Africa after his injury.

The dejected coach also revealed that his friend also provided financial support, an astonishing claim because Nadeem since 2022 has brought numerous pride and honor for the country by winning the gold medal at the last Paris Olympics in 2024, gold in the 2022 Commonwealth games and silver medal at the 2022 World Championships.

Besides these international achievements, Nadeem also comfortably won the Javelin gold in the Asian Athletics Championships this year.

His rivaly with India’s Neeraj Chopra has boosted the profile and interest in athletics in both countries and incidentally Chopra also had a below average campaign in Tokyo during the Worlds. PTI Corr AT AT