They say that history leaves out many unsung heroes. And so, when Arshad Nadeem’s name went down in the books as the first ever Olympics Solo-Gold Medalist for Pakistan, no one learned about the overjoyed man in the Green Pakistan shirt, who had appeared on our TV screens, breaking down in visible ecstasy and fulfillment, as Nadeem’s Javelin crossed the 92-meter mark. Moved by the intensity of the man’s joy and happiness, people wondered who he was. Many imagined he was Nadeem’s father, while others assumed him to be a patriotic spectator.
Soon, we all forgot about him and perhaps rightfully so. Nadeem had won the first ever Gold for Pakistan- and we were too astounded to ask anything else. As the celebrations, social media frenzy, and of course, fake news ensued, little became known about the behind the scene heroes who helped the athlete achieve the impossible that afternoon. And so, not many know about Salman Iqbal Butt, Nadeem’s Javelin Coach, the mentor who believed in Nadeem long before he became a Star Athlete. Nadeem himself, constantly credits Coach Salman as the man who stood by his side when he was just a struggling athlete like millions of others in Pakistan.
With limited training facilities and staggering financial support, Butt worked tirelessly to find the right techniques, training, and resources for the struggling athlete. It was Butt’s vision for Nadeem to win a medal for Pakistan, on a platform no smaller than the Olympics, an idea that was unthinkable at the time for most Pakistanis.
In the words of the Coach himself: “One must dedicate a lifetime of service and education towards achieving such medal performance. We trained lived and trained in the face of adversity every day. Each day was a steep climb but in our minds, we remained resilient.”
The duo’s friendship goes way beyond just the athletic training. When Nadeem had returned to Pakistan, after winning at Sixth place at the Commonwealth games, only a handful of people came to receive him at the airport. Dejected by the lack of support, young Nadeem decided to give up Javelin, feeling that the sport took too much time and effort without much return. There, it had been his Coach, who had unconditionally supported Nadeem, believing in his dreams, and motivating him to rise stronger than ever. It’s no surprise that in an old interview, Nadeem had said, “My Coach (Salman) is like my Roohani Baap (Spiritual father).”
In Butt’s own words:
“Deep in my heart I always knew that Arshad would one day become one of the greatest athletes for Pakistan. Helping to Get an Olympic Gold medal for Pakistan was my ultimate reward, no other reward is beyond that.”
We tend to imagine that success is the result of a single man’s efforts. Tough news, it takes much more! Salman Butt’s own struggle towards getting Pakistanis to recognize Athletics as a real sport began many years earlier. Back in the 1970s, while still a school-going boy in Aitchison College, he quickly became popular in school for winning the Athletics Cup and Trophy. His name is still listed as a record-breaking athlete in Javelin, shotput and discus throw at the college, where he was a national-level Champion in Javelin throw. Later, working as a Coach, Butt recognized Nadeem’s talent and undertook responsibility for his training. The results stunned the entire world!
In the 80s, Salman Butt worked as a voluntary member of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan towards the promotion of athletics in Pakistan. He worked there without any financial compensation for many years. During this time, he trained, mentored and coached throngs of young and under-resourced youngsters, keeping the tradition of athletics alive in Pakistan. However, it was not until 2024 that Butt’s life-long efforts finally pay off, as his student Nadeem succeeded in bringing an Olympic Gold medal home to Pakistan.
