Arshad Nadeem's Journey: A Wake-Up Call for Pakistan's Sporting System

Arshad Nadeem is, and will always remain, Pakistan's sporting hero. His achievements have united the nation, inspired millions of young athletes, and proved that Pakistan possesses world-class talent capable of standing on the biggest sporting stages. His success is not only his own—it is a symbol of hope for every aspiring athlete in the country. However, before we begin blaming the federations, sports boards, or any other institution for his recent performances, we must honestly evaluate the broader picture. Speaking from my own experience in sports administration, I strongly believe that our sports governing bodies must first understand the psychology of elite athletes. Producing champions is not merely about providing facilities, equipment, coaching, or financial incentives. It is equally about building resilient minds that can handle success, pressure, expectations, setbacks, and the constant pursuit of excellence. Speaking from my own experience in sports administration, I strongly believe that our sports governing bodies must first understand the psychology of elite athletes. Even before Arshad won Olympic glory, I had maintained that he was becoming Pakistan's flagship sporting product. After his Olympic triumph, that belief became even stronger. At that stage, the responsibility of the sporting system was no longer just to support Arshad—it was to start developing the next generation of elite athletes. Unfortunately, we continue to depend almost entirely on one athlete. Today, Pakistan's biggest hope in javelin remains Arshad, followed by Yasir. Compare that with India, where several javelin throwers consistently compete at the highest international level. That depth is not accidental; it is the outcome of long-term planning, structured athlete development, and sustained investment. In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges for any athlete after reaching the pinnacle of success is maintaining the same level of hunger and competitive intensity. Injuries and rehabilitation are genuine realities of elite sport, but equally important is consistent participation in international competitions. Competing regularly against the world's best develops confidence, competitive rhythm, and the desire to continue improving. Having personally observed Arshad during training over the years, I felt that after achieving the highest honours, the same relentless intensity and urgency that once defined him were not always as visible. That is not unusual in elite sport, which is why mental conditioning becomes even more important after success than before it. Fame, sponsorships, and financial rewards are natural outcomes of achievement, but they should never replace the desire to continue building a legacy. Money and recognition are temporary; legacy lasts forever. Arshad still has every opportunity to strengthen that legacy. This discussion should not be about criticism. It should be about learning. One experience has remained with me throughout my career. During the 2008 World Table Tennis Championships in Guangzhou, I observed the Indian contingent travelling with a dedicated sleep psychologist, who also served as the team's sports psychologist. At that time, many people underestimated the importance of such expertise. Today, the results speak for themselves. Indian table tennis players consistently feature among the world's leading players because they invested not only in technical coaching but also in sports science, psychology, recovery, and athlete welfare. Similarly, India has established numerous High Performance Centres dedicated to elite athlete development. These centres provide world-class coaching, sports science, biomechanics, nutrition, rehabilitation, psychology, performance analysis, and long-term athlete planning. As a result, they continue producing athletes capable of serving their nation for the next 10 to 15 years. Pakistan, unfortunately, still lacks a comparable ecosystem. This is where I believe Punjab can take the lead by establishing Pakistan's first dedicated High Performance and Mental Strength Centre for elite athletes. Such a centre should integrate sports psychology, mental conditioning, sleep science, nutrition, rehabilitation, biomechanics, and performance analysis under one roof. Elite athletes require elite support systems. Another major challenge is the absence of consistency in our sporting vision. Too often, policies change, priorities shift, and many initiatives appear focused more on public relations than on measurable sporting outcomes. We organise numerous events, yet we rarely ask the most important question: How many international medal-winning athletes will this programme produce? Events should never become objectives in themselves. They should be tools to develop athletes. Pakistan urgently needs a clear athlete development pathway. In the short term, we should identify and invest in 15 to 30 athletes across different disciplines who have genuine international medal potential. Over the longer term, that pool should expand to 100 to 200 elite athletes receiving structured support through coaching, sports science, psychology, nutrition, education, international exposure, and financial assistance. At the same time, mass participation programmes should continue because they promote healthier communities and encourage active lifestyles. Those programmes have immense social value and should remain a government priority. However, we must recognise that mass participation and elite athlete development are two entirely different objectives. Mass participation creates healthier citizens. Elite development creates Olympic champions and international medal winners. Pakistan also needs to broaden its sporting priorities. Cricket will rightly remain our most popular sport, and the Pakistan Cricket Board has developed a strong professional structure. However, international medals are won across many disciplines. Athletics, wrestling, boxing, hockey, squash, weightlifting, shooting, badminton, table tennis, and several other sports deserve equal strategic attention if Pakistan is to become a serious sporting nation. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we should effectively implement the Punjab Sports Policy 2021 while simultaneously formulating and strengthening a modern National Sports Policy. The country needs one unified vision with measurable short-, medium-, and long-term objectives, continuity across governments, institutional accountability, and a clearly defined athlete development framework. One area that deserves immediate attention is the Punjab Sports Endowment Fund. In my view, this fund is one of the most valuable assets available for the future of sports in Punjab, and its dividends must be utilised strategically. The Endowment Fund should primarily finance the development and welfare of elite athletes, not mass participation events. Community participation initiatives are extremely important, but they can and should be financed through regular government budgets and other development allocations. The dividends generated by the Punjab Sports Endowment Fund should instead be invested in: n Scholarships and monthly stipends for outstanding athletes. n High-performance training programmes. n International training camps and competition exposure. n Sports science, nutrition, rehabilitation, biomechanics, and performance analysis. n Mental strength conditioning, sleep science, and sports psychology. n Hiring internationally renowned coaches and technical experts. n Long-term athlete welfare and career support. Such investment will produce lasting returns in the form of international medals, stronger sporting institutions, and a sustainable pipeline of world-class athletes. If we fail to utilise this fund for its intended strategic purpose and continue spending it on activities that do not directly contribute to elite athlete development, we risk losing one of the greatest opportunities to transform Punjab's sporting landscape. We simply cannot afford to waste such a significant national asset. If this opportunity is lost, the future of Punjab sports—and, by extension, Pakistan sports—will become increasingly uncertain. Similarly, deserving athletes representing Punjab at national competitions should receive structured stipends and scholarships, allowing them to train professionally without financial uncertainty. A comparable model should be adopted by every province, while a national athlete support programme should be developed for Pakistan's leading performers. Finally, we must stop judging success by the number of events organised or the amount of publicity generated. Success should be measured by the number of athletes we produce who stand on international podiums. The recent Commonwealth Games and Asian Games should not simply become another event that fades into history. They should serve as a lesson and an opportunity for reflection. We must honestly assess what worked, what failed, and what structural reforms are needed to build a stronger future. My recommendations are straightforward: n Establish dedicated High Performance Centres across Pakistan. n Create a National Mental Strength and Sports Psychology Programme, including performance and sleep psychologists. n Increase international competition exposure for elite athletes. n Recruit world-class foreign coaches and sports science experts where required. n Implement the Punjab Sports Policy 2021 in its true spirit while introducing a comprehensive National Sports Policy. n Use the Punjab Sports Endowment Fund exclusively for elite athlete development and welfare. n Introduce scholarships and monthly stipends for deserving athletes. n Identify 15–30 elite athletes immediately, expanding to a structured pool of 100–200 athletes over the long term. n Focus investment on sports with realistic international medal potential while continuing mass participation initiatives through separate government funding. Arshad Nadeem remains Pakistan's hero. His journey should never be viewed merely through the lens of one competition or one result. Instead, it should become the catalyst for reforming our sporting ecosystem. The true measure of a sporting nation is not whether it produces one extraordinary champion, but whether it builds a system capable of producing champions generation after generation. If we invest in our athletes scientifically, psychologically, financially, and institutionally, Pakistan will no longer depend on one Arshad Nadeem—we will produce many. The writer is a former international sportsman and a government official.