Sport
Athletics-Nadeem wins javelin gold for Pakistan
He knelt down and kissed the ground after Chopra’s failed last attempt sealed his victory. The Pakistani finished fifth in Tokyo, but improved to take silver at last year’s world championships.
Arshad Nadeem won gold in the Olympic men’s javelin on Thursday, beating defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India to clinch Pakistan’s first Olympic medal in athletics.
Nadeem threw his arms up in celebration after breaking the Olympic record on his second throw with a stunning 92.97 metres that put him sixth on the all-time list, Reuters reported.
“When I threw the javelin, I got the feel of it leaving my hand, and sensed it could be an Olympic record, inshallah (God willing),” Nadeem said.
He knelt down and kissed the ground after Chopra’s failed last attempt sealed his victory. The Pakistani finished fifth in Tokyo, but improved to take silver at last year’s world championships.
Chopra, the strongest by far in qualifying and favourite to retain his title, struggled. His throw of 89.45, which won him the silver medal, was his only valid effort as he fouled on his five other attempts.
“I’m not that happy with my performance today and also my technique and runway was not that good,” said Chopra, who has struggled with a groin injury.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters took bronze with 88.54, a moment of redemption for the twice world champion who failed to make the final at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Peters hurled the javelin 88.54m on his fourth attempt to knock Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who won silver in Tokyo, into fourth place.
Nadeem, who compared his Olympic clash with Chopra to the two nations’ rivalry in cricket, has previously said it is challenging being a non-cricket athlete in Pakistan as resources and facilities for his sport are scarce.
But if Chopra’s huge following in India since winning Olympic gold is anything to go by, Nadeem’s performance on Thursday could change that.
Chopra, who has more than nine million Instagram followers, has had a huge impact in raising the profile of athletics in India, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said on Thursday.
India’s prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted after Chopra’s silver win: “Neeraj Chopra is excellence personified! Time and again he’s shown his brilliance. India is elated that he comes back with yet another Olympic success.”
Peters, meanwhile, said he felt his Caribbean nation’s support.
“The entire population, 120,000 people are glued to their TV right now. Celebrating, cheering,” he said.
Sport
Bamyan hosts ski competition sponsored by AWCC
A ski competition was held in Bamyan province with financial backing from Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC), bringing together 230 athletes on the snowy slopes of Chapdara Shah Foladi.
The event was organized across three age groups and in three categories—amateur, professional, and local—featuring participants from Bamyan, Ghazni Province, and Maidan Wardak Province. Competitors welcomed the initiative and called for sustained support to further develop winter sports in Afghanistan.
Local officials said the competition aimed to nurture young talent and encourage greater engagement in sports.
Rajab Ali Fitrat, Deputy for Technical and Professional Affairs at Bamyan’s Department of Physical Education and Sports, expressed appreciation for AWCC and urged continued support for athletes across all disciplines, particularly skiing.
Organizers also underscored the importance of ongoing sponsorship, describing it as vital to the growth of sports in Bamyan. Shah Agha, one of the event organizers, called on AWCC to maintain its cooperation with local athletes, especially in skiing.
Athletes described the competition as a valuable opportunity to gain experience and showcase their skills.
Ali Askari, a participant, noted that he has been skiing for about eight years and highlighted the presence of competitors from multiple provinces.
In the results, Sayed Rohullah claimed first place in the professional category, followed by Ali Agha and Sayed Hadi. In the amateur division, Asif, Shir Hussain, and Noor Agha secured the top three spots. In the local (wooden ski) category, Hassan Ali took first place, while Shamsullah and Mohammad finished second and third.
With its snow-covered mountains, Bamyan is widely regarded as one of Afghanistan’s premier destinations for winter sports and has previously hosted both national and international ski competitions.
Sport
13 mountaineers in Balkh summit Alborz at 1,650 meters
The Balkh Mountaineering Federation announced that 13 members of the Alborz Central team, led by Reza Rezaei, the federation’s Technical and Professional Deputy, with coordination from the Olympic and Physical Education Directorate and the provincial Mountaineering Federation, successfully climbed Mount Alborz during their first training program.
The purpose of this spring training and ascent was to strengthen the mountaineers both physically and mentally, as well as to promote the culture of mountaineering in Balkh.
Sport
Myanmar trump Afghanistan 2-1 in Asian Cup Qualifier
The Afghanistan national football team lost 2–1 to Myanmar in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Yangon on Thursday afternoon.
Afghanistan’s national team is scheduled to play its final match of the competition on March 31 against Syria in Saudi Arabia.
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