KARACHI: Pakistan’s star javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem bagged another gold at the National Games in Karachi.
The WAPDA’s Arshad Nadeem, with his star performance, claimed the gold medal with a massive throw of 81.81 meters.
Yasir Sultan, another WAPDA athlete, clinched silver, reaching 70.7 meters, whereas Pak Army’s Abrar Ali secured third place with a 67.68 meters throw.
Lifetime Ban on Arshad Nadeem’s Coach Overturned
Earlier, in a big relief for Arshad Nadeem’s coach Salman Iqbal Butt, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) overturned a lifetime ban on the Olympic Gold Medalist’s coach.
The decision was announced by Senator Pervaiz Rashid in his capacity as an adjudicator for the Pakistan Sports Board.
He declared the ban imposed by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan “without lawful authority, unconstitutional, ultra vires, and void ab initio,” meaning it was invalid from the outset.
“The lifetime ban has no legal effect and is declared void,” the order stated. It instructed the AFP to “immediately withdraw all adverse communications” sent to international bodies like World Athletics and Asian Athletics, which had damaged Butt’s global standing. The federation is also now restrained from issuing any future “defamatory or prejudicial communications” against Butt.
Arshad Nadeem’s Coach Banned
“A penalty imposed in violation of due process is void ab initio,” the order read, citing violations of Articles 4, 10-A and 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan. It also noted the penalty of a lifetime ban was “ultra vires, excessive, and unsupported by any constitutional authority” within the AFP’s own rules.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) banned Salman Butt, coach of Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, for gross violations of the AFP Constitution.
The coach was found to be involved in unconstitutional and non-transparent activities, particularly related to the illegal elections of the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA).
“After careful review and deliberation, the Executive Committee imposed a lifetime ban on Salman Butt, former office bearer of the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA), for gross violations of the AFP Constitution, on which he himself is a signatory,” the press release stated.
Habib Shah, former secretary of the Punjab Athletics Association, has also been banned for 10 years.
Salman Iqbal Butt and Shah scheduled the Punjab Athletics Association elections on August 29, which the AFP would go on to nullify. The federation argued that the process contravened its constitutional provision and procedural rules.
