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Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem will not compete at the Lausanne Diamond League this month as he shifts his focus towards his next major international competitions, including the Asian Games in Japan.His coach, Salman Butt, said Nadeem is currently training in Lahore and is waiting for his visa before travelling to South Africa. There, he will spend around two weeks training in Potchefstroom with his coach Terseus Liebenberg and local trainers.“He has decided against competing in the Diamond League meet this month as he wants to be ready for the Asian Games,” Butt said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Arshad Nadeem chooses training over Lausanne meet
Nadeem was due to compete in Lausanne on August 21 alongside some of the world’s leading javelin throwers, including India’s Neeraj Chopra, Germany’s Julian Weber and Grenada’s Anderson Peters.However, the 28-year-old has opted to miss the event and instead use the South Africa camp to improve his preparations. Potchefstroom is a familiar training base for Nadeem, who previously trained there before the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2024 Olympics, winning gold at both events.The decision comes after a difficult year for the Pakistani star. He has struggled at two international competitions and faced criticism after finishing ninth in the recent Commonwealth Games final in Glasgow.
What’s next for Nadeem?
Nadeem failed to make the top eight in Glasgow, while Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won with a throw of 89.75 metres. Chopra and Yash Vir Singh finished second and third, respectively, giving India its first-ever one-two finish on the javelin podium at the Commonwealth Games.After his South Africa training stint, Nadeem is expected to compete at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest from September 6 to 14, before turning his attention to the Asian Games.
