Arshad Nadeem named in Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 after historic Olympic gold
Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem has been named in Forbes' prestigious 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2025, following his record-breaking performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he secured Pakistan's first-ever individual Olympic gold medal.
The Entertainment & Sports category of the list, which highlights rising talent across Asia 'on court and the screen,' credited Nadeem's 'stunning show' at the Olympics, where the 28-year-old shattered records with a throw of 92.97 meters, setting a new Olympic record and ending Pakistan's 30-year Olympic medal drought.
The recognition by Forbes marks yet another milestone in Nadeem's illustrious career, which has revitalised Pakistan's presence on the global athletics stage.
Olympian Arshad Nadeem named Asia's Best Athlete of 2024
His gold-winning feat earned him more than Rs153 million in cash rewards from the Punjab and Sindh governments, alongside accolades from federal bodies and corporate sponsors.
As part of national recognition, a road in Islamabad was named in his honour, and Pakistan Post issued a commemorative stamp on Independence Day to celebrate his contribution to the country's sporting legacy.
Nadeem continued his winning streak by clinching gold at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships with an impressive throw of 86.40m, just shy of the meet record. It was Pakistan's first gold at a continental event in over 50 years.
Having previously won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and silver at the 2023 World Championships, Nadeem is now preparing in England for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in September, the only major title missing from his collection.
With his continued dominance and rising global recognition, Arshad Nadeem has firmly established himself as Pakistan's most celebrated track and field athlete in modern history.
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