Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem didn’t only propel the javelin to an Olympic record of 92.97m on Thursday night at the Paris Olympics 2024 but also lifted the entire nation on his shoulder to 53rd position currently on the medal’s table. Nadeem has become the first track-and-field athlete from his country to win an Olympic gold medal and it was also the first medal for his country in Paris Games.
That one gold medal is for Pakistan is enough to raise them well beyond India on the medal’s tally. Although India have won 5 medals – including 1 silver by Neeraj Chopra and 4 bronze – they will in all likelihood finish below Pakistan in the medal’s tally just because of Nadeem’s solitary gold medal.
The reason for India’s lowly position in spite of winning more medals than Pakistan is because of International Olympic Committee’s ranking system. The main method of determining the rank of countries at the Olympics is based on the number of gold medals won. Even if a nation has 10 silver or bronze medals, it would be ranked lower than a solitary gold medal, like in Pakistan’s case.
Paris Olympics 2024 medal tally with India and Pakistan’s position.
The tally of silver and bronze medals only comes into effect when there’s a tie between two nations on the number of gold medals won.
With India unlikely add any gold to their existing medals tally, they will finish behind neighbours Pakistan for the first time after 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Back then, India failed to win a single medal in Barcelona, while Pakistan managed a bronze medal thanks to their hockey team who finished in third place.
The entire size of Pakistan’s Olympic contingent was just 7. Out of this, six athletes failed to reach the finals. Arshad Nadeem was the only one who not only reached the final but also hit the jackpot with the gold medal.
India, on the other hand, had an Olympic contingent of 117 members but have not managed a single gold medal unlike Tokyo Olympic 2021 when Neeraj Chopra won the men’s javelin title.
India will rue the fact that six athletes finished in 4th place including the likes of Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu. But the fact remains that even if we turn all of those into medals, none of them were in contention for gold medal.
Pakistan with their solitary gold medal would have still finished ahead of India in the medals tally even if we added those missed six medals.
The honourable Sports Minister of the country Mansukh Mandaviya will surely point out in the Parliament that a massive budget of Rs 470 crore was allocated for the Paris Olympics bound athletes. Out of this, Rs 96 crore was allocated to athletics alone but all we have to show for it is a solitary silver medal from Neeraj Chopra.
The country are now left wondering what might have happened if wrestler Vinesh Phogat wasn’t overweight by those 100gms. Apart from Neeraj Chopra, Vinesh was probably the only one with a realistic shot at winning the elusive gold medal.
The sporting fans in this country are left wondering ‘what if’ in the aftermath of the men’s javelin final on Thursday night.
