Exclusive interview with Awais Tahir: Arshad Nadeem to train in South Africa to address technical and run-up issues ahead of World Ultimate Championships

Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem has decided to travel to South Africa for specialised training with his coach Terseus Liebenberg, as he looks to address technical shortcomings and regain his competitive rhythm ahead of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships and Asian Games.

Nadeem’s decision comes after disappointing performances in his recent competitions in Switzerland and at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. However, the Olympic champion has made it clear that his recent results are not the result of a fitness problem.

In an exclusive interview with sports journalist Awais Tahir, Nadeem said he is completely fit and described his current physical condition as the best he has experienced in his career.

“I am totally fit. I have never been this fit in my whole career.”

According to Nadeem, the main issue currently affecting his performance is technical. In particular, he believes he needs to improve his run-up, rhythm and throwing technique.

The Olympic champion is already working on these shortcomings at a training camp in Lahore and now plans to continue that technical work in South Africa with Liebenberg.

Technical issues behind recent performances

Nadeem’s recent performances have been significantly below the level he established during his historic Olympic triumph at Paris 2024.

At the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern meeting in Switzerland, Nadeem recorded a best throw of 78.47 metres. He later managed 78.63 metres in Commonwealth Games qualification before failing to advance beyond the first three rounds of the final in Glasgow.

Those distances are well below Nadeem’s personal best and Olympic record of 92.97 metres, which he produced to win the Olympic title in Paris.

Despite the significant difference, Nadeem does not believe his physical condition is responsible for the decline.

Instead, he has identified technical issues as the area requiring immediate attention.

Nadeem told Awais Tahir that he is facing problems with his technique and particularly needs to work on his run-up. For a javelin thrower, the approach is crucial in generating speed, maintaining rhythm and transferring momentum into the final delivery.

Nadeem is therefore focusing on correcting these technical shortcomings rather than simply increasing his competition schedule.

He has already joined a training camp in Lahore, where he is working on the weaknesses identified during his recent competitions.

South Africa was already part of the plan

Nadeem’s decision to travel to South Africa is not simply a reaction to his recent results.

The Olympic champion had wanted to travel to South Africa earlier in the year to work with Terseus Liebenberg, who has previously been involved in his preparation.

However, the plan could not materialise at that time because of flight disruptions during the Iran-Israel conflict in March and April.

The travel difficulties forced Nadeem to continue his preparation in Pakistan instead.

Now, with the most important competitions of his season approaching, he has once again decided that a South Africa camp is necessary.

The objective is to work closely with Liebenberg on his technique, particularly the aspects of his run-up and throwing mechanics that Nadeem believes require correction.

The decision also reflects Nadeem’s confidence that the current problems can be addressed through targeted training.

South African visa process underway

Nadeem has already applied for his South African visa and is waiting for the process to be completed.

The Olympic champion says he is ready to leave immediately once the visa is issued.

“I have already applied for the South Africa visa. As soon as I receive it, I will travel the next day,” Nadeem told Awais Tahir.

The statement underlines the urgency of his preparation.

With the World Athletics Ultimate Championships approaching, every available day of training is important.

Nadeem does not want to lose additional time and intends to begin his specialised work with Liebenberg as soon as possible.

Lausanne Diamond League no longer a priority

As part of the revised preparation plan, Nadeem will also skip the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21.

Instead of returning to competition immediately after his disappointing Commonwealth Games campaign, the Olympic champion has chosen to dedicate the available period to training and technical correction.

The decision represents a clear shift in priorities.

For Nadeem, the immediate objective is not simply to compete again as soon as possible. He wants to ensure that when he returns to competition, the technical issues affecting his performance have been addressed.

The Lausanne meeting would have provided another opportunity to compete against the world’s leading javelin throwers, but Nadeem believes the time is better spent training.

Commonwealth Games disappointment

Nadeem’s decision comes after a disappointing campaign at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The defending champion entered the competition with considerable expectations after winning the Birmingham 2022 title with a Commonwealth Games record of 90.18 metres.

However, his performance in Glasgow fell well short of that standard.

After throwing 78.63 metres in qualification, Nadeem failed to advance beyond the first three rounds of the final.

For an athlete who won the Olympic title in 2024 with a throw of 92.97 metres, the result was undoubtedly disappointing.

It also raised questions about the reasons behind the decline in his distances.

Nadeem, however, has provided his own assessment: he does not consider fitness to be the problem.

Instead, he believes technical adjustments are required before he can return to the level expected from him.

Run-up among the key areas of focus

One of the most important areas Nadeem intends to address is his run-up.

The run-up is fundamental to javelin throwing because it allows an athlete to build controlled speed before transferring that momentum into the throw.

For an athlete of Nadeem’s level, even small technical inconsistencies can have a major impact on the final distance.

Nadeem believes that correcting the rhythm and mechanics of his approach will help him regain the efficiency that has been missing from his recent performances.

This work has already begun in Lahore and will continue in South Africa under Liebenberg.

Already working in Lahore

Until his South African visa is issued, Nadeem is continuing his preparation in Pakistan.

He has already joined a training camp in Lahore and is working on his shortcomings.

The Lahore camp is serving as the first phase of his technical preparation, while the South Africa camp will allow him to continue that work under the guidance of Liebenberg.

The plan is therefore not a last-minute reaction to poor results.

Instead, Nadeem and his team are using the period between competitions to identify problems and make technical corrections.

Budapest the next major target

After completing his training in South Africa, Nadeem plans to travel directly to Budapest, Hungary, for the World Athletics Ultimate Championships.

“I will travel straight to Budapest from South Africa for the World Ultimate Championships,” Nadeem said.

The schedule will be tight, but the Olympic champion is determined to use the available time as efficiently as possible.

The World Ultimate Championships will provide Nadeem with an opportunity to measure the impact of the technical work undertaken in Lahore and South Africa.

For an athlete who has already produced one of the greatest throws in Olympic history, the focus will be on restoring consistency rather than simply chasing a single big throw.

A return to the level of 92.97 metres

Nadeem’s Olympic-winning throw of 92.97 metres at Paris 2024 remains the benchmark for his career.

That throw not only secured Pakistan’s Olympic title but also established a new Olympic record.

Since then, expectations surrounding Nadeem have naturally remained extremely high.

His recent distances, however, have been considerably lower.

The South Africa training camp therefore carries considerable importance.

The objective is not to recreate the Olympic performance overnight, but to rebuild the technical foundation that enabled Nadeem to reach that level in the first place.

If his run-up, rhythm and throwing mechanics improve, his physical condition should provide the foundation for stronger performances.

Asian Games another major target

Following the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, Nadeem will turn his attention towards the Asian Games in Japan.

The continental competition represents another major target for the Olympic champion and will provide a further opportunity to assess his progress.

The decision to skip Lausanne gives Nadeem more time to prepare for the two competitions that now sit at the centre of his season.

Rather than accumulating competition appearances, his approach is to use the coming weeks for specialised preparation.

A technical reset, not a fitness crisis

Nadeem’s message is clear: his recent performances should not be interpreted as evidence of a fitness or injury crisis.

The Olympic champion insists that he is in excellent physical condition and says he has never felt this fit during his career.

The problem, according to Nadeem, is technical.

His run-up, rhythm and throwing mechanics are among the areas he wants to improve, and he believes working with Terseus Liebenberg in South Africa can help him correct those shortcomings.

He has already begun the process in Lahore.

The next step is to complete the visa process, travel to South Africa and work intensively with his coach before heading directly to Budapest.

For Pakistan’s Olympic champion, the road back to his best form is therefore not about recovering from a physical setback.

It is about fine-tuning the technique, fixing the run-up, restoring rhythm and converting his current physical fitness into the performance level he knows he is capable of producing.

After a difficult outing in Switzerland and a disappointing Commonwealth Games campaign, Nadeem now has a clear plan for the remainder of his season.

Lahore first. South Africa next. Budapest after that — and then the Asian Games.

The Olympic champion is now focused on making sure that when he returns to the runway, he returns as the technically refined and confident Arshad Nadeem that Pakistan has come to expect.

— Interview conducted by Awais Tahir, Sports Journalist