Pakistan Olympic winner trades homemade javelins for superstardom

First gold medallist in decades turns cricket-mad nation on its head

2024-08-20.Nadeem

Pakistani Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem throws the javelin at the Stade de France on Aug. 8. © Reuters

ADNAN AAMIR, Contributing writer

ISLAMABAD -- Like most kids across Pakistan, children in Arshad Nadeem's village often have a cricket bat in hand.

But after his record-setting throw that won Olympic gold in Paris -- and earned him superstar status at home -- javelin has suddenly turned into the town's favorite sport, with kids snapping branches off trees to use as projectiles.

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