‘He is more into business ventures...’: Mentors react to Arshad Nadeem’s poor show at Glasgow CWG

New Delhi: Two of Arshad Nadeem's key mentors have attributed the Pakistan javelin thrower's disappointing performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to inadequate training and negligence, urging the Olympic champion to work harder for a strong comeback.

Nadeem, who created history at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a record-breaking 92.97m throw, endured a poor outing in Glasgow, finishing ninth among 12 finalists. His performance left fans and members of the coaching staff stunned.

The Olympic gold medallist struggled from the beginning of the competition, managing only 78.63 metres in the qualification round to narrowly secure a place in the final. His best effort in the final, a 77.41m throw, was not enough to challenge for a medal.

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Sri Lanka's emerging star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won the gold medal with an impressive 89.75m effort, while India's Neeraj Chopra claimed silver and compatriot Yash Vir Singh secured bronze.

Akram Sahi, who played a key role in Nadeem's rise in early 2018 and is a former president of the Pakistan Athletics Federation, blamed certain individuals for distancing the athlete from his support system.

"Since Nadeem's Olympic gold medal a coterie highjacked him and never let him come to me," Sahi, a former president of Pakistan Athletics Federation, told Telecom Asia Sport.

"This result in Glasgow is hugely disappointing for someone who has risen to new heights but the signs were imminent for the last several months as there was negligence and lack of training."

Another mentor, who chose not to be named, agreed with Sahi and claimed that Nadeem had become complacent after his Olympic success.

"Arshad Nadeem had become complacent and what we noticed was lack of training and after he was busy in Haj this year he did not do proper training," he added.

"He won the Olympics after he got extensive training from his South African coach Terseus Liebenberg. His training stints at Northwest University Potchefstroom also helped him clinched an Olympic gold.

"Now he waited for Federation and government to send him to South Africa for training. He has got good money in rewards after the Paris show so he should have invested on himself rather than waiting for someone to send him,"he added.

The mentor also questioned Nadeem's coaching arrangement, claiming that his current coach did not have sufficient expertise in javelin throw.

"Salman Butt, the current coach with Nadeem has nothing to do with javelin throw, he was an ordinary discus throw athlete with no achievements but he has been with Nadeem like a shadow and that has affected his performance.

"Since getting some good cash rewards to the tune of 300 million PKR, Nadeem is more into business ventures and is building a marriage hall and restaurant in his hometown Mian Channu which takes his time and attention. An athlete doesn't need such diversions."

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Sahi, who is also chairman of the South Asian Athletics Federation, welcomed the performances of Pathirage and Vir Singh, saying the medals staying within South Asia was a positive sign.

"This is a welcome sign the medals remained in South Asia with a Sri Lankan emerging after some real hard work."

Fans also expressed disappointment over Nadeem's below-par performance. Ahsan Muneeb, a sports analyst who has followed the Games, said the athlete had received too much support without enough focus on preparation.

"He (Nadeem) was pampered by people who matters," said Ahsan Muneeb who has followed Games as an analyst. "Instead of giving him millions that pampered him, the government and sports authorities should have arranged a high quality foreign coach and settled him in places like Germany, South Africa or England so that he could have got better training and would have been better acclimatized.

"It will be near impossible for him to stage a come back." (IANS)