Aiming for a world record.

LAHORE -- Arshad Nadeem had an unwavering conviction coursing through his veins in BirminAgham on Sunday evening that no matter what the other competitors did, no matter what the state of his injured elbow would be, he would be the one with the gold medal across his neck.

And since his record-breaking throw of 90.18 metres in the javelin final of the Commonwealth Games brought Pakistan's first track and field medal at the quadrennial spectacle in 56 years, everything's been a rush for him.

It's understandable. Pakistan's wait for an athletics gold has been even longer. Before Sunday, the last time the country's flag was raised; the national anthem played at the track and field venue for the Commonwealth Games was 60 years ago.

Arshad, who improved on his personal best three times during the session, was in tears after his victory but had a wide grin as the rendition of the national anthem came to an end - the medal he'd so longed for, and promised he'd deliver, draped around his neck.

Longing for another gold

Once off the podium, it was time for his dope test. Once done with giving his sample, it was almost midnight.

Monday was time to pack all the stuff and catch a flight to Turkiye, where Arshad is looking forward to another gold at the Islamic Solidarity Games.

'Just another day in an athlete's jet-set life,' Arshad told Dawn in an interview while rushing to the airport, already running late to his flight for Konya.

Arshad had arrived in England after competing at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon where he finished fifth. His first stop was the Cambridge University where Dr Ali Sher Bajwa checked his elbow injury. He wasn't a part of the Pakistan contingent's march at the opening ceremony and was flying out well before the start of Monday's closing ceremony.

'I've got the gold and that's what matters most to me,' said Arshad.

What's more remarkable about Arshad's victory in Birmingham is that he didn't have his coach with him. Salman Butt was watching Arshad perform on television after he couldn't get his accreditation made in time.

It wasn't a surprise for Salman that Arshad became the first javelin thrower from South Asia to cross the 90-metre barrier.

'He can do even better,' Salman told Dawn on Monday. 'I was convinced he could do it.'

Arshad too believed. 'I wasn't going to give up without a fight ... I knew I would win.'

Arshad had led the contest for the longest time, but it seemed Grenadian world champion Anderson...