Javelin thrower Yasir aims to qualify for World Athletics Championship 2025

Aiming to qualify for the next year’s World Athletics Championship in Tokyo, Pakistan’s no.2 javelin thrower Yasir Sultan has said that he has been doing well and is confident to make it to the global event this time.

“Yes, it’s my main target for the next year,” Yasir told Nukta in an interview.

“I have been in constant training for the last few months. After featuring in the Asian Throwing Championship in Korea last June, I have never left training and working on building my capacity as a javelin thrower.

“I am going to feature in the National Championship in Multan which will start this week. And I target my best throw. I want to take a good start to this new season and will add to it in coming months. If I get a few events next year then there will be ample chance that I will be able to qualify for the World Championship.”

The World Championship will be held in Tokyo from September 13 to 21, 2025.

“I have also gained strength and feel extremely good. There is one year circle for the World Championship qualification and that has already started. I will make the best use of the future opportunities. Qualification to the World Championship will help me a lot as I also eye 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” Yasir said.

“The good thing is that I have been doing well and coach Fayyaz Bukhari is also working very hard on me for the last few months. I have worked on weak areas and this will help me,” Yasir said.

Yasir shot to fame when he engineered his best throw of 79.93 meter in the Asian Championship in Bangkok last year to earn bronze medal.

Yasir had stuck around 75m for a couple of years. However, when he came under the coaching of Fayyaz Bukhari he broke those shackles and went on to record a throw of 79.93m in the continental event which created a hope that after Arshad Nadeem he can also play at the top level.

Yasir last year narrowly missed the Hangzhou Asian Games bronze when he finished fourth by managing a throw of 78.13 meter.

Yasir had the opportunity to qualify for the Paris Olympics but Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) just gave him only one event in Korea where he failed to click.

Even in the national event Yasir can qualify for the World Championship if he achieves the required standard throw of 85.50m which is also the Olympics standard.

His coach Fayyaz Bukhari said that Yasir has a huge throw in him.

“He is in fine tune and he will produce his best in the national event in Multan,” Bukhari told Nukta while on his way to Multan where he will handle WAPDA javelin throwers during the event.

The javelin event will be conducted on November 28.

“Yasir has overcome his weaknesses and I hope he will produce something stunning in months to come,” said Bukhari who has also coached Arshad Nadeem, the Olympic champion, for long eight years.

History in the making?

If Yasir qualifies for the World Championship it will be the first time in history when two Pakistani javelin throwers will be featuring in the global event.

It is also pertinent to mention here that Arshad Nadeem also will need to record 85.50m throw in the one-year cycle leading up to the World Championship if he is to qualify for the Tokyo World Championship.

Arshad also will play in the Diamond League next season which will begin in April next year.

The one-year cycle up to the next year’s World Championship started after Arshad became Olympic champion in Paris with a huge throw of 92.97 meter which is also the Olympics record.

Besides Arshad and Yasir Sultan, Hussain Bukhari is also the 2028 Los Angeles Games prospect. He is the son of Fayyaz Bukhari and has been growing smartly as a javelin thrower.

Both Yasir and Hussain have been training jointly under Bukhari.