ISLAMABAD
Pakistan’s star javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem saw his medal hopes extinguished at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo on Thursday, failing to qualify for the top eight in the men’s javelin final, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott clinched the world title with a commanding throw of 88.16 meters.
Nadeem, who captured global attention with his performances in recent years, opened the final with a throw of 82.73 meters, placing him seventh after the first round. His second attempt was ruled a foul, and while he marginally improved to 82.75 meters on his third throw, another foul on his fourth attempt ended his chance to advance to the final three throws reserved for the top eight competitors.
In a heartfelt message to fans on the social media platform X, Nadeem revealed that an injury sustained on July 4 had hampered his preparations. “Dear Pakistanis, I want to thank each and every one of you for your unwavering support and love throughout the World Athletics Championships. Although I couldn’t achieve the result I had hoped for in the final, I am proud to have represented our nation on the biggest stage,” he wrote.
“I know I let you all down, but I promise to come back stronger and work even harder to make you proud. To be honest, I’ve been dealing with an injury since July 4th, which affected my preparation and fitness level. Despite this challenge, I gave it my all, and I appreciate the experience,” Nadeem added, vowing to “keep pushing” for Pakistan in future competitions.
The men’s javelin final saw no fairytale return for India’s defending Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who struggled to a best throw of 84.03 meters, finishing eighth. The mark was well below the 90.23 meters he achieved earlier this season, dashing hopes of a repeat of his 2021 Olympic triumph at Tokyo’s National Stadium.
Instead, it was Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott who stole the show, dominating in blustery conditions to secure his first world championship medal—a gold—with a throw of 88.16 meters. The 32-year-old, who burst onto the scene with Olympic gold as a teenager in 2012, produced the two longest throws of the evening to add to his 2016 Rio Olympic bronze.
Nadeem’s early exit ended Pakistan’s medal hopes at the championships, but the athlete’s promise to return stronger offered a glimmer of hope for his supporters. “I will come back better prepared,” he pledged in his message, signaling his determination to rebound from this setback.
ENDS
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