Arshad Nadeem’s Coach Banned For Lifetime; Here’s Why
Salman Iqbal, the coach of star Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, has been banned for life by the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation.
Published : October 13, 2025 at 10:34 AM IST
Hyderabad: Pakistan star Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has suffered a blow as his long-time coach, Salman Iqbal, was banned for life on Sunday by the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation. He was punished by the organisation for violating the constitution of the Punjab Athletics Association, where he is the president. With the life ban imposed on him, Salman cannot take part in any athletics-related activities, including coaching or holding office at any level.
Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation (PAAF) has accused Iqbal of violating the constitution for holding the Punjab Body election, which occurred in August. To interrogate the matter, an inquiry committee was formed in mid-September, and it recommended that Iqbal be banned on October 10, a day after his reply to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) came out.
BREAKING: The Athletics Federation of Pakistan has handed down a lifetime ban to Salman Butt, coach of Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem, for breaching the AFP constitution during the Punjab Athletics Association elections. Butt will no longer be allowed to coach Arshad. pic.twitter.com/7GHpletMLQ
— Muneeb Farrukh (@Muneeb313_) October 12, 2025
Why was Iqbal handed a ban?
The development is linked to the recent interaction between PSB and Iqbal. Nadeem’s coach was asked to explain the Javelin thrower’s poor performance at the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo. They also asked for the details of the expenses incurred on the athlete’s training and travel.
In a shocking reply, Iqbal claimed that the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation had dissociated itself from Nadeem for the last year. He also added that he had to seek financial assistance from a friend to ensure that the Javelin thrower would take training in South Africa and also complete his rehab to recover from the calf muscle injury. He sustained in recent times.
Arshad Nadeem’s career achievements
Iqbal has a long-time association with Nadeem, and the Pakistani athlete has won many accolades in his career so far. He won a gold medal in the Paris Olympics, a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships. Also, he won a gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2022.
Despite having some impressive achievements in his resume, Nadeem managed to finish only in 10th position in the World Championships.
