Arshad Nadeem finishes fourth at Asian Games

Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished fourth in the men’s javelin throw final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Monday despite recording a season-best effort of 80.29 metres.

Competing in rainy conditions, Arshad struggled to find his rhythm early in the event. He opened with a 76.69m throw before fouling on his second attempt.

The Pakistani athlete produced a much better effort on his third throw, sending the javelin 80.29m to move into fourth place. However, he could not improve his position as his final three attempts were all fouls.

Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage dominated the competition to secure the gold medal. The world No. 1 initially recorded 83.56m before producing a massive 88.33m throw on his fourth attempt.

Pathirage improved further in his final throw, reaching 88.55m and sealing the title. His victory came despite losing all five of his javelins after they were damaged during a flight from Budapest just two weeks before the Asian Games.

India’s Yashvir Singh won the silver medal with a personal-best throw of 85.72m, while compatriot Rohit Yadav secured bronze with an 84.35m effort.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Yasir finished ninth with a best throw of 73.50m.

The fourth-place finish adds to a challenging season for Arshad, who has been unable to reproduce the form that earned him Olympic gold in Paris with a record-breaking 92.97m throw.

He also finished ninth at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and fifth at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

Pathirage, meanwhile, continued his outstanding run this year. The 23-year-old Sri Lankan has won 11 of his 12 competitions in 2026 and has also recorded three throws beyond 90 metres.