Perhaps being enveloped in the throes of a collective rapture of joy is the right time to highlight an important perspective on the immediate aftermath of Arshad Nadeem’s historic, record-breaking Olympic 2024 gold medal win.
Much has been and will be said about what this win means to Pakistan and how it will impact the future of sport as government officials, private companies and influential individuals dole out promises of massive monetary and material rewards. However, this piece specifically focuses on the welcome awarded to Nadeem in the very early hours of Sunday, August 10, 2024, and what it represents.
Arshad Nadeem with his gold medal
Throngs of fans, well-wishers, sports enthusiasts and reporters, unsuccessfully warded off by security personnel, flooded Lahore’s Jinnah International Airport’s international arrivals enclosure, waiting for a first glimpse of the newly crowned national hero.
As the 27-year-old emerged, he was swiftly whisked off to the awaiting government-run double-decker buses. But not before he was – for a confusing minute or two – swallowed up by a raucous crowd and their cell phones – each individual and device trying to experience and capture the tiniest bit of history, however tangentially. As the buses began moving, all celebrations were drowned out by zealous chants of ‘Arshad tere jaan nisar!’ (Arshad, we sacrifice our lives for you!). A similar welcome engulfed the athlete as he reached his hometown of Mian Channu. An entire village celebrated their collective accomplishment in supporting and encouraging Nadeem when Pakistan’s purpose-built institutions consistently turned a blind eye to his struggles.
As the road from Lahore to Mian Channu remains reddened by rose petals, the digital and social spaces across the country have been unanimously bursting with praise, likes, re-shares, hashtags, commentary and graphics lauding this brave son of the soil.
For once, Pakistan has agreed to a single narrative: ‘Arshad Nadeem is a self-made athlete, and nothing can mar his outstanding achievement.’
We all love a rags-to-riches story, and this one especially has all the elements of courage, persistence, patriotism, humility and the ultimate climax of a record-breaking global victory in front of millions of spectators.
So what does this unprecedented celebratory outpour of support for a sportsperson in a fairly unknown category of athletics mean? Despite the obvious reasons to celebrate a sports victory, why have we (yours truly included) put this young man on a pedestal, from which he may need permission to de-seat himself, once the realisation hits that the hopes and dreams of 280 million people rest on his (muscular) shoulders?
Is it because for the last couple of decades, Pakistanis have been yearning for a hero to save us?
Heroism was found temporarily in politics, until there was a hero no more. Yes, impressionable young people and oldies alike have put their faith (although more cautiously so because we have been burned before) in cricket personalities, until the pain of repeated disappointment had to be replaced with low expectations. Even the movie stars of the country’s nascent post-modern entertainment industry have been almost given a saviour status, until the inevitable mistimed opinion proved otherwise. But Nadeem, so far, has the advantage of being unilaterally unblemished. With no skeletons in his closet, Nadeem must be envied by many as an aspiring and current leader. Another factor that clinches the popularity win is Nadeem’s modest background, which resonates with the country’s silent majority, currently teetering on the brink of socio-economic ruin.
However, let us not forget that he is also a man. And yes, by and large, everyone pictures a hero as a man. His obvious strength and unperturbed demeanour, both physical and mental, have been best associated with a man since yore. How much we are willing to accept this as a corroborating factor to our admiration is perhaps not my place to comment.
Arshad Nadeem’s mother enjoying mithai
Arshad Nadeem’s mother enjoying mithai
More importantly – and this hits home a little too deeply – is the depiction of Nadeem’s mother, beaming with pride as she smiles unselfconsciously while enjoying a sweet pink rasgullah, celebrating her son’s achievement with the same zeal with which she must have celebrated all his previous wins. We do our best to make our mothers proud and in this instance, we hold back our tears while watching Nadeem hug his mother as she unabashedly sheds tears.
Arshad Nadeem embracing his mother
The rawness and spectrum of emotions this victory has unravelled cannot be orchestrated even by the best of machinery (you know which one), even as many scramble to take credit. It is almost scary to imagine which way the winds of influence will take this athlete of impressionable acumen. Heavy indeed is the head that holds the crown. Many are the expectations regarding interviews, public appearances, social mobility and investments in athletics, especially the javelin, for this young man.
While the sequel to this saga will unfold in the days and years to come, there is no denying that as a result of years of unrelenting determination and against all odds – in a few short Olympic seconds – Pakistan finally has a hero.
Comments (5) Closed