Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday congratulated the Pakistan javelin team for their outstanding performance in the Islamic Solidarity Games held in Riyadh.
The prime minister, in a statement, appreciated Pakistan javelin throwers Arshad Nadeem and Muhammad Yasir for securing the gold and silver medals, respectively.
He said that Pakistani javelin throwers were bringing pride to the nation and the country worldwide, as both Arshad Nadeem and Muhammad Yasir had achieved success in the Games through exceptional hard work and skill.
“The hard work of the athletes and their coaches has brought fame to the country. It is heartening to see that athletes are displaying excellent performance across different formats,” the prime minister remarked.
He said that the government was taking priority steps to provide the best sports opportunities to the country’s youth.
Earlier, star athlete Arshad Nadeem added another feather to his cap by successfully defending his Islamic Solidarity Games’ gold medal in men’s Javelin here at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Stadium on Wednesday.
His compatriot Muhammad Yasir clinched silver.
Nadeem got off to a decent start in the final by registering a throw of 75.44m, which immediately put him at the top of the standings.
The star athlete threw his farthest in the second attempt – an 83.05m effort, which consolidated his lead at the top, while he followed it up with 82.48m in the next attempt to assert his dominance.
He threw at 77.06m in his fourth attempt, while his fifth was ruled out. He concluded his campaign with a 77.98m effort.
Besides him, no other athlete could breach the 80-metre barrier in each of their six attempts, with compatriot Yasir registering the next-best throw of 76.04m in his final attempt, which earned him the silver medal.
Nigeria’s Samuel Adams Kure clinched the bronze medal with a throw of 76.01m, which came in the fifth attempt, and could not reclaim his second position in the standings as he managed 75.84m in his final effort.