Arshad Nadeem wins Global Breakthrough Athlete award in UAE

Nadeem made history in August 2024 when he won Pakistan’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in javelin.

Pakistan’s Olympic javelin star Arshad Nadeem received the Global Breakthrough Athlete award at the World Sports Summit held in Dubai on Monday.

The two-day event, running from December 29 to 30, has brought together more than 1,500 athletes, sports leaders and policymakers from around the world. The summit is focused on discussing the future of sports under the theme “Uniting the World Through Sport,” according to the Emirates News Agency.

 

Footage broadcast by news channels showed Nadeem receiving the award. His achievement was widely praised by Pakistani officials, including Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who described him as a source of pride for the nation in a post on X.

 

Nadeem made history in August 2024 when he won Pakistan’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in javelin at the Paris Olympics with a record throw of 92.97 metres. He has also earned medals at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.

More recently, in November 2025, he won another gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after recording a throw of 83.05 metres.