Arshad Nadeem named in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list

Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem was named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list following his historic Olympic performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, it emerged on Monday.

The entertainment and sports list, which was originally published last month, aims to “[spotlight] the next generation of talent — on court and the screen.”

Nadeem, 28, changed Pakistan’s sporting trajectory when he won gold and broke the Olympic record with a massive 92.97m throw in Paris — which Forbes called a “stunning show” — winning Pakistan’s first individual gold medal and the first of any colour in more than 30 years.

His Olympic feat got him more than Rs153 million in cash prize from Punjab and Sindh, in addition to several other rewards handed out by various government entities and companies.

The government also named a road in Islamabad in Nadeem’s honour, while Pakistan Post issued a commemorative stamp on Independence Day to pay tribute.

Nadeem retained his javelin supremacy when he took home gold at last month’s Asian Athletic Championships with a 86.40m throw, narrowly missing out on the meet record of 86.72m.

His triumph marked the first time Pakistan won gold at the Asian Athletics Championship in more than 50 years.

Nadeem rose to prominence after he bagged gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, followed by a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

He will soon be going to England to prepare for September’s World Athletics Championships, the only major tournament where he has yet to win gold.