(Web Desk) - Reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.
Competing at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City Stadium, Arshad Nadeem logged a best throw of 83.05m - with his second attempt of the night - to successfully defend his crown in a seven-man field.
Arshad Nadeem had also bagged the top spot at the last edition in Konya, Turkiye, by setting a new Games record of 88.55m. He had also won bronze at the 2017 edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku.
The Olympic champion opened his title defence with a 75.44m effort before bettering it to 83.05m. His subsequent efforts measured 82.48m and 77.06m, respectively, before a foul and ending the sequence with 77.98m.
Nadeem’s compatriot Muhammad Yasir bagged the silver medal with a 76.04m effort, while Nigeria’s Samuel Adams Kure took the bronze with a 76.01m attempt.
This was Nadeem’s third competitive outing of the year.
Having claimed the gold at Paris 2024 with an Olympic record-setting throw last year, Nadeem began the 2025 season with a gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, the Republic of Korea.
However, the Pakistani ace had to undergo a calf surgery and consequently missed the Diamond League meetings. He came back for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September but endured a muted outing, finishing an underwhelming 10th.
Nadeem’s season’s best this year was the 86.40m throw, which won him the Asian title in Gumi.
Pakistan have so far won three medals at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games. The previous two - both bronze - were won by boxers Qutrad Ullah (men’s 55kg) and Fatima Zahra (women’s 60kg).