Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem's Impact: Javelin equipment selling like hotcakes in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

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Equipment for javelin throwers, particularly spikes, has been flying off the shelves in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region ever since Arshad Nadeem made history by winning gold at the Paris Olympic Games.

His record-breaking performance in the men's javelin was a first for Pakistan's athletics, sparking a new wave of interest in the sport.

"Youngsters are crazy about cricket in the Khyber region of Pakistan, but after Nadeem Bhai's gold in Paris, javelin throw has become the second biggest, with several school-going students now following athletics (javelin)," said Muhammad Bilal, a young javelin thrower competing in the fourth edition of the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship.

Bilal, Pakistan's youth national record holder in javelin (63.69m), recently tried to buy a new pair of spikes but found them out of stock due to the sudden surge in demand. "Javelin has become very popular for youngsters in my region," Bilal shared.

The Khyber region is known for producing some of Pakistan's greatest cricketers, like Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, and Umar Gul, as well as world-class squash players like Jahangir Khan. Despite this rich sporting heritage, Bilal chose a different path.

"Everyone in my area plays cricket, but I didn't follow," Bilal admitted. "I know one or two names of Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but I don't know the others."

Bilal, who comes from a large joint family, initially wanted to pursue gymnastics to improve his fitness. However, in 2021, he shifted his focus to throws, particularly javelin.

"I was a bit overweight (96kg) and thought of shedding some extra fat, but I ended up throwing the javelin at the local stadium on the advice of the local coach in Khyber," Bilal explained, recounting how his athletics journey began.

Now, Bilal is Pakistan's leading junior (U20) javelin thrower, but his start wasn't easy. "My friends made fun of me when I came last in my first competition in 2021," he recalled. "It was very disappointing, but I didn't lose hope. I kept working and reached a good level in 2022."

By 2023, Bilal had established himself as the top junior javelin thrower in Pakistan. He also received valuable advice from Arshad Nadeem in 2022.

"He advised me to do specific exercises for javelin. It was a big help," Bilal said.

Although Bilal couldn't meet Nadeem before travelling to Chennai for the South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF) competition, as Nadeem was busy enjoying his newfound stardom, Bilal remains inspired by the Olympic champion.

The SAAF event is Bilal's first international competition, having missed the 2022 Asian Youth Athletics Championship.

"This event will be a great platform for me to win my first international medal," he said confidently. On his return to Pakistan, Bilal plans to move to Lahore to train under Nadeem's guidance.

"He (Arshad) told me to come to Lahore, and he will guide me," Bilal concluded, expressing that he wouldn't mind leaving his hometown for a better future.