Page 26 - Pakistan Link - August 13, 2021

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P26 – PAKISTAN LINK – AUGUST 13, 2021 COMMENTARY
ll of Pakistan was on the edge ‘True Champion’: Arshad Nadeem Wins Pakistan Super League franchise
of their seat, their eyes glued to Islamabad United’s General Manager
Nadeem competed in the final of the Pakistan’s Hearts Even if Medal Eludes Rehanul Haq highlighted the scale of
Athe television screen as Arshad
Nadeem’s achievement at the Olympics.
men’s javelin throw event at the To- He qualified for the final round
kyo Olympics on Saturday. ahead of the world’s number one, he
But even though Nadeem missed said. He added that Pakistanis should
out on an Olympic medal and finished be proud of Nadeem.
fifth, Pakistanis were quick to recognize “He has given us hope of a medal,
the athlete’s hard work and lauded him given us joy, put us on the world map
for making the country proud. for athletics. He has done so without
Senator Faisal Javed Khan said that support, without [the] facilities his
Nadeem had tried his best, adding that competitors had. Arshad Nadeem is a
a “true champion is a true champion”. true Pakistani hero.”
“They go fight and win or lose, give Anchorperson Rauf Klasra thanked
it their all. You have already made the the man from Mian Channu for fight-
entire nation proud of you. Better luck ing till the end and making the coun-
next time!” try proud.
“#ArshadNadeem you WIN... you “You may have not won [a] medal
defied all the odds stacked against you. but you won our hearts. Your presence
Absence of facilities, coaching, orga- at such a big event means a lot for all of
nization [...] you were driven with the us. Congratulations for fifth position,”
passion to make your country proud. he said.
You did it in your OWN [...] YOU Former Pakistan bowling coach
WIN,” said singer and television anchor Azhar Mahmood said that an athlete
Fakhre Alam. wants to compete, to give his best and
Barrister Taimur Malik prayed that represent his team and country to the
Nadeem’s journey to the Olympic fi- best of his ability.
nals would inspire a new generation of “[Nadeem] you have done so. We
athletes in Pakistan. “My four-year-old are proud of you,” he said.
now wants to be a javelin athlete,” he “#ArshadNadeem for your great
said. performance, you are a star!” said jour-
Federal Minister for Information Barrister Taimur Malik prayed that Nadeem’s journey to the Olympic finals would inspire a new nalist Shiraz Hassan.
and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry generation of athletes in Pakistan. “My four-year-old now wants to be a javelin athlete,” he said Journalist and YouTuber Asad Ali
thanked the athlete for giving the coun- Toor offered words of comfort for the
try hope and going so far in the Olym- nancial backing. or losing. “It’s about getting out there athlete. “You won our hearts, [a] medal
pics. “Pakistan is proud of you,” he said. “You are a Pakistani hero and I once and putting up a fight. That is what doesn’t matter,” he said.
Cricketer Shadab Khan said that again pledge to support our Olympic makes you a winner! We are all super Thanking Nadeem for his perfor-
Nadeem would “definitely” have come athletes,” he said. proud of you champ!” mance at the Olympics, producer Ad-
back with a medal if he had been pro- PML-N Vice President Maryam “Well done #ArshadNadeem you’re eel Raja said: “We need more focus on
vided the right kind of support and fi- Nawaz said that it is not about winning a king!” said journalist Zarrar Khuhro. sports less on other stuff.”
Tokyo: The second to last day of Olympics 2020: American Gold Bonanza as was targeting an unprecedented
competition at the Tokyo Olympics treble in Tokyo but came up short
produced a gold medal bonanza for India Strikes First Jackpot in Athletics in Friday’s 1500m final, taking
the United States. home the bronze.
The Americans kept up their “I am so happy and I cried dur-
domination in men’s basketball ing the medal ceremony. I actually
and women’s water polo with gold realized that I am done, the Games
medal victories in both on Sat- are over,” said Hassan after her vic-
urday, and Allyson Felix won her tory in the 10,000m. “I am just so
11th career medal with a gold one thankful, and I don’t think I could
as part of the US women’s winning have done any better than this. Dur-
4x400m-relay team. ing the medal ceremony I was think-
And the American men finally ing: ‘It is over. Now you can sleep!’”
delivered a sprint gold medal in the Three-time world champion
4x400-relay, the final track race of Mariya Lasitskene won the women’s
the Tokyo Games. Olympic high jump while Norway’s
Elsewhere, with 34 golds up Jakob Ingebrigtsen became the first
for grabs, India seized their first European to win the men’s 1500m
ever gold medal in athletics at the since 1992.
Olympics, while baseball-mad Ja- In Sapporo in Japan’s far north,
pan won their maiden gold in the where the heat was only slightly less
sport. oppressive, a late burst in the wom-
World number one Nelly Kor- en’s marathon propelled Peres Jep-
da gave the Americans the women’s chirchir past compatriot and world
golf title to go with the men’s and a record holder Brigid Kosgei as she
flurry of boxing finals featured un- secured Kenya’s second consecutive
heralded Brazilian Hebert Sousa gold medal in the event.
taking the middleweight gold with Jepchirchir broke away from
a stunning third-round knockout. Kosgei, one of the favorites, at
Kevin Durant scored 29 baseball’s birthplace. McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad on the stadium tannoy after Cho- around 40km to win in 2:27:20.
points and joined Carmelo An- Japan’s 2-0 win behind Mu- and Athing Mu was never in jeop- pra had launched his sixth and fi- “I said, wow, I’m going to
thony as the only three-time men’s netaka Murakami’s third-inning ardy in this one. Poland finished nal throw, in the knowledge he had make it. So, I pushed the pace be-
gold medalists in Olympic history home run deprived the Americans second, 3.68 seconds behind, and won gold. cause I knew I was going to win,”
as the US held off France 87-82 to of what would have been only their Jamaica finished third. The farmer’s son sprinted the Jepchirchir said. “I’m happy for my
win the gold medal for the 16th second gold in their national pas- “The first [gold] was a very, length of the infield, an Indian flag family, happy for my country Kenya
time in 19 tries. time. very long time ago [in Athens fluttering over his shoulders. for supporting us.”
The Americans had started Masato Morishita and four 2004] when everything was new,” Hundreds of people watched Ashleigh Johnson made 11
their tournament with a loss to relievers combined on a six-hitter, she said. “And this one everything the final on a screen outside Cho- saves, Maddie Mussleman scored
France, then ran off five consecu- and the Japanese men matched is different but in a good way. I pra’s house in Panipat in the north- three times and the United States
tive victories. the accomplishment of the wom- am so pleased it was running with ern state of Haryana, exploding women routed Spain 14-5 in the
“This one feels good because en’s softball team, which upended these amazing women.” with joy when Chopra was de- water polo final. The US won their
we went through a lot. We had a lot the Americans for their second The American men’s relay clared the winner. third consecutive gold medal.
of first-time guys on the team, new straight gold medal. team of Michael Cherry, Michael “It feels unbelievable,” Cho- In sprint canoe, Ronald Rauhe
experience for everyone on the Felix became the most-deco- Norman, Bryce Deadmon and Rai pra said. “This is our first Olympic became the first man to win a med-
team, Covid, the kind of bubble we rated woman in Olympic track his- Benjamin won the fifth gold for the medal for a very long time, and in al in canoe sprint in five Olympics
were in, no fans, no one expecting tory when she won bronze in the US men in the 4x400m since 1996. athletics it is the first time we have when Germany won the men’s kayak
us to lose,” Durant said. 400m on Friday night. She passed India’s Neeraj Chopra hurled gold, so it’s a proud moment for me four 500m in the final race at the Sea
The gold medal wasn’t secure Carl Lewis for the most track med- the men’s javelin 87.58 meters and and my country.” Forest Waterway.
until Durant made two free throws als of any US athlete. Of her 11 launched himself into the history Dutch distance runner Si- Lisa Carrington of New Zea-
with 8.8 seconds left. medals, seven are gold. books as his overjoyed team-mates fan Hassan completed a stunning land had already won three gold
The Americans won their 16th Paavo Nurmi of Finland holds and coaches watched from the 5,000m-10,000m double to emu- medals but missed out on a fourth
Olympic medal in men’s basketball, the all-time mark in track with 12 stands devoid of fans because of late Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba’s when the Kiwis finished fourth in
but the Olympic hosts foiled their medals from 1920-28. Covid-19 restrictions. feat at the 2008 Beijing Games. the women’s kayak four 500m. Hun-
attempt to bring the title home to The team of Felix, Sydney Bollywood music boomed out The Ethiopia-born Hassan gary won the race.
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