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Pakistan’s Olympic gold medalist and national hero, Arshad Nadeem, has added another feather to his cap, earning a spot on Forbes’ prestigious ‘30 Under 30’ South Asia list for 2025, becoming the first-ever Pakistani track-and-field athlete to do so.
The annual list recognises the region’s most impactful young changemakers, and Arshad’s inclusion is a nod not just to his record-breaking athletic prowess but also to his growing cultural influence across South Asia.
The 28-year-old javelin sensation created history last year when he shattered the Olympic record with a stunning 92.97-metre throw at the Paris Olympics, securing Pakistan’s first individual Olympic gold medal and ending a medal drought that stretched over 30 years.
Forbes hailed the performance as a “stunning show”, praising Nadeem as a trailblazer for South Asian athletes in global sport.
But his Olympic feat wasn’t a one-off. Arshad recently added another gold medal to his collection at the Asian Athletics Championships, reinforcing his status as one of the world’s top javelin throwers.
So far, he has clinched five gold medals in major events, further cementing his place among the sport’s elite.
The star athlete joins global names like Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown and Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju in Forbes’ international list of standout young athletes.
Arshad Nadeem first shot to fame with his gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and continued his rise with a silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
To date, his medal haul includes four golds, one silver, and four bronze medals across premier global competitions including the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Islamic Solidarity Games, South Asian Games and Asian U20 Championships.
