In a heartfelt message after his victory, Nadeem said, “First of all, I thank Allah Almighty for this huge achievement. With the prayers of my parents, the prayers of the entire nation and especially the tireless efforts of my coach Mr. Salman Iqbal Butt and the support of Dr. Ali Sher Bajwa, I have achieved this tremendous milestone. Thank you all!”
He dedicated his gold medal to the people of Pakistan and said, “This gold medal is a gift from me to the entire nation on the occasion of Independence Day.”
The 27-year-old athlete prevailed against a strong field of competitors, including India’s Neeraj Choprathe defending champion, who secured silver with his season’s best of 89.45 meters. The bronze medal went to Anderson Peters from Grenada, whose best was 88.54 meters.
After his record-breaking second throw, Nadeem was overcome with emotion and fell to his knees in disbelief. His achievement marks a monumental moment for Pakistan, who had never won an individual gold medal at the Olympics before. The last time Pakistan won gold at the Games was in 1984 in field hockey.
