Pakistan’s Olympic hero Arshad Nadeem has taken his first step towards returning to competition after successfully undergoing surgery in the United Kingdom as part of his recovery from a calf muscle injury.
The 28-year-old star underwent the procedure in Cambridge under the care of renowned UK-based specialist Dr. Ali Bajwa, with the medical team confirming that partial muscle damage in Nadeem’s calf had to be surgically repaired.
While the surgery is a minor hurdle, it may have prevented Arshad Nadeem from suffering a more serious injury in the future.
The timing of the injury had already forced Arshad to withdraw from an international competition in Switzerland earlier this month. His team opted to take the cautious route after the injury flared up during training, delaying his international season but potentially saving it in the long run.
According to coach Salman Iqbal Butt and the rehabilitation staff, the procedure went smoothly, and rehabilitation and physiotherapy will begin shortly. There is optimism within the camp that the Mian Channu-born athlete could be back in light training sooner than expected—though no timeline has been confirmed for his full return.
The setback comes just weeks after Arshad Nadeem added another accolade to his growing list by winning gold at the Asian Athletics Championship, registering a throw of 86.40 metres—a performance that reminded fans and critics alike of his elite status.
If all goes well, he might be back in time for the World Athletics Championships in September this year. For now, the focus is recovery, but if history is anything to go by, Arshad Nadeem rarely stays down for long.