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Category: Sports

  • Neeraj Chopra wanted Arshad Nadeem to win medal in Tokyo 2020 Olympics

    Neeraj Chopra wanted Arshad Nadeem to win medal in Tokyo 2020 Olympics

    India’s javelin Gold winner Neeraj Chopra said that he wanted to share the Tokyo 2020 Olympics podium with Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem.

    Speaking to News 18, the 23-year-old, who became India’s first historic athletic Gold winner with a 87.58m throw, said that he would have loved it if the Pakistani athlete won a medal as it would have put Asia on the map.

    Arshad, who was Pakistan’s last medal hope, finished 5th with his best throw of 84.62m, 0.82m behind bronze medalist Vitezslav Vesely.

    “[It would have been] good to have Nadeem on the podium too. Asia ka naam ho jata [Asia would have made a name],” Neeraj said.

    When asked about Indo-Pak rivalry, the athlete did not think it was fair to drag the hype over to the Olympics and felt that it was best left in cricket.

    “It’s okay to do the comparisons in cricket where 7-8 countries are taking part but not fair in Olympics,” he said.

    Arshad congratulated the Indian athlete on winning the Gold medal and called him his favourite.

    https://twitter.com/ArshadNadeemPak/status/1424596874984570887?s=20
    https://twitter.com/ArshadNadeemPak/status/1424312756833067021?s=20
  • Arshad Nadeem’s failure in the Olympics because of extensive use of social media: Chief, Pak team

    Arshad Nadeem’s failure in the Olympics because of extensive use of social media: Chief, Pak team

    Pakistan contingent’s chef-de-mission to the Tokyo Olympics Brig Zaheer Akhtar expressed his displeasure over missing a golden opportunity of winning a medal that could have been a Gold even, as highly talented Arshad Nadeem was capable of touching the 90-meter mark, had he and his coach stayed focused on achieving the ultimate goal prior to the finals, reports Abdul Mohi Shah for The News.

    “Nonstop social media usage by Arshad and his coach in between the qualifying and final rounds turned out to be the main reason behind this failure,” said Brig Zaheer.

    Talking to The News from Tokyo, Brig Zaheer said Arshad looked set to topple even the best as he gave an early indication of his talent during the qualifying round.

    “When he sent javelin to over 85 meters in the qualifying round, Indian coach who trained the Gold medalist Chopra was on record to have said that Arshad was the biggest threat to his athlete, having all the potential to win even Gold. Such was the impact of his qualifying round performance where he hardly put his full effort and yet he reached over 85. The Indian camp was wary of Arshad and his potential.”

    Brig Zaheer said despite clear instructions, both Arshad and his coach Fayyaz Bokhari were seen using social media uninterruptedly. Later, it was learnt that they even sent premature videos back home halfway into the competition, which “surely was an act of total indiscipline”.

    The contingent’s chef-de-mission said he had absolutely no doubt in Arshad’s inborn talent.

    “His coach was even talking on the telephone when finals were going on but I don’t know to whom he was talking to. That is the reason why Arshad did not know that time was running out for his final throw. His half-hearted last attempt was made in haste. With J Vetter already out, it should have been a direct contest between Arshad and Chopra for a Gold medal. Sadly that could not happen more due to Arshad and his coach’s excessive use of social media in between the qualifying round and finals.”

  • Tears and standing ovation mark Messi’s farewell to Barcelona

    Tears and standing ovation mark Messi’s farewell to Barcelona

    Lionel Messi wept on Sunday as he bade farewell to his boyhood team FC Barcelona.

    The 34-year-old Argentine’s emotional news conference followed Barca’s announcement last week that it could no longer afford him after a glittering two decades.

    French newspaper L’Equipe reported on Sunday that Messi will travel to Paris either Sunday or Monday to undertake a medical and finalise a deal with the Qatar Sports Investment-owned club.

    Spanish newspaper Marca reported PSG formally sent their offer to Messi on Sunday morning, just as the football star held a news conference.

    While Messi did not confirm he would definitely join the Parisians, he said that his plans were to carry on playing as long as possible, adding he still harbours ambitions to win another Champions League trophy.

    “As long as I go on being competitive and as long as my body responds (I’ll carry on playing),” he told a news conference.

    “As long as I can, I will carry on competing.”

    “I tried to behave with humility and respect and I hope that is what remains of me when I leave the club,” said an emotional Messi as hundreds of fans, many wearing his No. 10 jersey, amassed outside Barca’s Camp Nou stadium to bid farewell to the player they called Messiah.

    Messi broke down as he walked onto the stage before conducting his news conference and was handed a tissue by his wife Antonella Roccuzzo as he fought back the tears.

    “This is the toughest moment of my career. When the club told me, I just froze. This is all like a bucket of cold water has been poured over me and we are still coming to terms with it,” he sobbed.

    “When I get home, I’m sure it’ll be even worse. But I’ll be surrounded by my loved ones and I’ll carry on playing football, and when I do so, I’m sure it’ll become a bit easier.”

    It had been widely reported by local media that Messi was set to stay at Camp Nou, with the player admitting he had agreed to a five-year deal involving a 50% pay-cut.

    The six-time Ballon D’or winner has been at Barcelona for 21 years and became its all-time top goalscorer with 682.

    Meanwhile, many notables wished him luck.

  • CM Punjab Buzdar promises to ensure better sporting facilities for youth

    CM Punjab Buzdar promises to ensure better sporting facilities for youth

    Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has promised to ensure better sporting facilities for youth in Pakistan.

    Taking to Twitter, CM said: “The whole nation is proud of Arshad Nadeem. He finished in top 5 but his determination will motivate and inspire Millions of Pakistanis.”

    “Punjab Government will Insha Allah ensure more and better sporting facilities for our youth to follow in the footsteps of Talha Talib and Arshad Nadeem,” said the CM.

    While several others encouraged both Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib for their efforts in Olympics without any facility.

    Here are a few tweets from politicians, sportsmen and notables, encouraging Nadeem:

    https://twitter.com/76Shadabkhan/status/1423980451782397961?s=20

    Arshad congratulated the gold medalist Neeraj Chopra and apologised from the nation for letting them down.

    https://twitter.com/ArshadNadeemPak/status/1423983262406483972?s=20

    The 24-year-old athlete finished fifth among 12 contestants as India’s Neeraj won gold and Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch and Vitezslav Vesely claimed silver and bronze medals.

    Arshad Nadeem was aspiring to win Pakistan’s first Olympics medal since the men’s hockey team earned a podium finish in 1992.

    The athlete made history last week as he became first-ever Pakistani athlete to qualify for the final of any track and field event in the Olympics.

  • PM Khan, others pray for Arshad Nadeem’s win at Olympics Javelin Throw finals

    PM Khan, others pray for Arshad Nadeem’s win at Olympics Javelin Throw finals

    Prime Minister Imran Khan along with other politicians and notables have prayed for Arshad Nadeem, who will be competing for the finals of the Javelin Throw competition at Tokyo Olympics today.

    Taking to Twitter, PM office’s account wrote: “We pray for #ArshadNadeem’s podium finish in the finals of the Men’s Javelins Throw.”

    He further added: “With the nation’s prayers and your hard work, victory awaits you, Insha’Allah. Way to go, champ!”

    Other people who wished him luck include Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam, journalist Hamid Mir, actor Faysal Quraishi, among others.

    Arshad Nadeem, in a video message, thanked his fans for their prayers.

  • Olympic finalist Arshad Nadeem had no ground to practice, says father

    Olympic finalist Arshad Nadeem had no ground to practice, says father

    Pakistani Olympian Arshad Nadeem’s father has claimed that he had no ground to practice and worked on his own without any support from the government.

    Read More – ‘Will give reward to Arshad Nadeem if he wins Gold in Olympics’: Hassan Ali

    According to Geo News, Muhammad Ashraf, father of javelin thrower Arshad, revealed that his son did not even have a ground to practice.

    Muhammad Ashraf further shared that Arshad was initially interested in cricket but he suggested his son try javelin throw instead.

    Nadeem’s father, who works as a mason to bear the expenses of Arshad’s training, said that Arshad trained in his own house’s courtyard and streets. Money for fitness machines was also provided by his father.

    He added that the government provided no support to Arshad and the expenses of sending him to Multan, Faisalabad, and Lahore for practice were completely borne by him.

    Arshad’s younger brother is also a javelin thrower and he is in Lahore for training.

    Muhammad Ashraf demanded that the government support young athletes and build grounds where athletes can practice.

    Arshad topped his group during the group stage competition and ranked third in both the groups. He will be participating in the final contest on August 7.

    Taking to Twitter, Arshad appealed to the people of Pakistan to pray for him for the final competition.

    https://twitter.com/ArshadNaadeem/status/1423108260811485184?s=20
  • ‘Will give reward to Arshad Nadeem if he wins Gold in Olympics’: Hassan Ali

    ‘Will give reward to Arshad Nadeem if he wins Gold in Olympics’: Hassan Ali

    Pakistani fast bowler Hassan Ali has praised Arshad Nadeem for qualifying for the Javelin Throw event’s final in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics 2020.

    Speaking to reporters via an online link on Wednesday, Hassan said that Arshad is the pride of Pakistan and he will reward him for winning the Olympics medal.

    “I am happy for Arshad and tweeted on his achievement. He is the real face of Pakistan as he reached Olympics from a small town in Pakistan. I will give a reward to him if he wins a Gold medal in the event,” he said.

    Arshad will be participating for the final contest on August 7.

  • Celebrities laud Arshad Nadeem for hitting a milestone at Olympics

    Celebrities laud Arshad Nadeem for hitting a milestone at Olympics

    Notable members of the entertainment industry have expressed their appreciation for a ‘Javelin Throw’ player Arshad Nadeem who has secured the first position in the qualifying round of Javelin throw finals in Tokyo Olympics 2020 and made Pakistan proud.

    Nadeem was in group B of the qualification event and topped his group to make it to the finals. His overall performance marked him as the third-highest thrower in both the groups combined, behind India’s Neeraj Chopra and Germany’s world number one Johannes Vetter.

    Here’s a list of tweets of mainstream celebrities, congratulating Arshad on his achievement:

    Celebrities also wished him luck for the final contest on August 7.

  • US gymnast Suni Lee to delete Twitter after blaming missing out on gold due to social media

    US gymnast Suni Lee to delete Twitter after blaming missing out on gold due to social media

    US gymnast Suni Lee has put her imperfect performance on the uneven bars down to being distracted by social media.

    A break-out star at the Tokyo Olympics, Lee won gold in the individual all-around and silver in the team all-around at this year’s games.

    Her achievements made history, as she became the first Asian-American woman to win gold in the Olympics’ all-around competition.

    The 18-year-old also took bronze for the uneven bars, but despite her success, told reporters she had been disappointed not to do better, explaining that she considered the bars to be “my thing”.

    Lee was the clear favourite to win the uneven bars final, but uncharacteristic errors and an uneven performance meant Belgium’s Nina Derwael and Russia’s Anastasiia Iliankova were able to take first and second place.

    “Bars is something I really cherish,” Lee said after the competition, reports the Associated Press. “So when I mess it up, it really sucks.”

    Lee was positive about being able to go home with bronze, silver and gold medals, but expressed regret that her wins weren’t exactly what she had envisioned:

    “It’s really cool,” Lee said in the report. “I just wish the bronze medal was a beam medal, not bars.”

    Explaining to People, Lee said she thought social media had played a part in her being less than her best on Sunday, saying she had “got distracted and lost focus a little bit when I won the gold medal” in the all-around three days earlier.

    She also admitted that she has spent a lot of time on social media while in Tokyo.

  • Meet Abtaha Maqsood, Britain’s first hijab-wearing cricketer

    Meet Abtaha Maqsood, Britain’s first hijab-wearing cricketer

    Abtaha Maqsood is Britain’s first hijab-wearing Muslim female to play international cricket, reports Geo News. She wants other young British Muslim girls to not hold back if they are thinking about cultural and religious obstacles and take up cricket as a profession.

    Abtaha’s parents are from Lahore, Pakistan. She was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 11, 1999 — the day Pakistan won from Zimbabwe to qualify for the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup played in England and Scotland.

    The 22-year-old cricketer is currently playing for Birmingham Phoenix in the new short format 200-ball cricket tournament “The Hundred” in England. Since her childhood, she used to play cricket in the garden of her house with her father and brothers.

    Abtaha joined her local cricket club “Poloc” at the age of 11. Only four months after joining the club, she was selected to represent Scotland’s under-17 squad against Ireland in a T20 tournament.

    Speaking to Geo, Abtaha said that her family supported her to join cricket as a profession. Abtaha said that her father is her top supporter throughout the journey.

    “My dad and my mom are both massive cricket lovers. But my dad, in particular, says all sports are important,” she said.
    Abtaha Maqsood also holds a black belt in Taekwondo that she acquired at the age of 11. She has participated in British and Scottish Taekwondo championships as well.

    The young cricketer said she never thought of taking cricket as a career at that time. But the experience of playing cricket so far has been wonderful for her.
    Talking about her choice to wear the hijab, Abtaha said that she started it at the age of 11 after she saw her mother doing the same. She, however, said that her decision to wear one was completely her choice.

    “Wearing a hijab was my own choice. I went to perform Umrah with my family when I was 11, and on our way back to the UK, I saw my mum started wearing hijab. So I asked her why was she wearing that and then she told me [how it was a religious obligation], so I decided to wear one as well,” said Abtaha.

    “It was really important for me at that time as it is now and I’m going to keep wearing that”, she added.

    Responding to a question of whether people should focus more on her cricketing skills rather than her hijab, Abtaha said that she thinks talking about her hijab is equally important as it is the representation that matters.

    “This is the first time people have really seen a woman wearing the hijab and playing cricket at the highest level, so I think it’s still important to be talked about,” she said.

    “I never really had a role model who looked like me when I was growing up. I think that would have really helped me and given me a sense of belonging. So, hopefully, I can be that person for young girls now”, she added.

    She told Geo that although she never came across any cultural barriers herself, she is aware that there are hurdles out there for other young Muslim girls. She, therefore, wants to be a role model for those girls.

    “I really hope that people, when seeing me, could realise that it is possible to play cricket and wear hijab at the same time. And there are people out there who can support young girls through it if they really want to play cricket at a high level or any other professional sport for that matter”.

    xplaining her experience in playing “The Hundred”, she said that representing Birmingham Phoenix in the tournament is the most amazing experience of her life.

    Talking about her experience in the tournament so far, Abtaha said that she still can’t believe that she’s playing with some of the best cricketers in the world — a chance she never had before.

    Abtaha Maqsood has represented Scotland’s national team 17 times in international T20 matches, claiming 23 wickets so far in her career at an impressive average of 12.28.