Riyadh: Pakistan celebrated a remarkable 1–2 finish in the men’s javelin throw at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, with Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem claiming gold and Asian Championship 2023 bronze medallist Yasir Sultan taking silver.
The javelin final at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium saw Arshad and Yasir dominate from start to finish. Arshad’s best throw of 83.05m on his second attempt out of six secured the gold medal, while his other attempts measured 75.44m, 82.48m, 77.06m, a fifth attempt flagged, and 77.98m.
Who else but HIM? 🤩🇵🇰
His second Men’s Javelin Throw Gold at the #IslamicSolidarityGames, and the first Pakistani Gold Medallist at #Riyadh2025… ARSHAD NADEEM! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/5ZvrxTCCeh
— Riyadh 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games (@25ISG) November 19, 2025
Although this was below his season best of 86.40m at the Asian Championships in Gumi and far from his Olympic record throw of 92.97m in Paris last year, it was enough to maintain his winning streak at the Games.
Yasir Sultan, participating in his first Islamic Solidarity Games, earned silver with a throw of 76.04m in his sixth attempt. The competition for silver was tight, as Nigeria’s Samuel Adams Kure threw 76.01m in his fifth attempt, only to be narrowly overtaken by Yasir’s final throw.
This gold and silver finish boosted Pakistan’s medal tally at the Games to four, adding to the earlier bronze medals won by boxers Fatima Zahra and Qudratullah. The Pakistan Olympic Association praised the athletes’ achievements on social media, calling it a proud moment for the nation.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated Arshad Nadeem, describing him as a national hero. “Arshad’s outstanding performance, supported by his coach and family, has brought immense pride to Pakistan. He has once again made the nation proud by raising the Pakistani flag,” he said.
At present, Turkey leads the Games with 65 golds and a total of 130 medals, followed by Uzbekistan with 25 golds and 79 medals, and Iran with 21 golds and 62 medals. A total of 38 countries are competing in this edition of the Games.