The uncoached and accidental athlete made the impossible become possible.

The 190.5cm tall police officer bravely challenged the domination of Japan and Pakistan in the extremely technical and mind-racking event.

Incredibly, he led from the start. In the fifth throw, the javelin exploded like a missile from the grasp of the man mountain to 72.92m.

It was 4.68m further than the effort of second-placed Takeshi Ikeda of Japan, and just 1.64m off the Games record.

Nashatar became the new Asian champion, and remains the only Malaysian to have won a gold medal in javelin at the Games.

Nashatar recalled that he did not only break the power of the Japanese in javelin. “The Pakistani thrower, who had four years earlier given me tips on technique, finished fourth, more than five metres behind me.”

He said he had to pay for dinner to get the advice of the Pakistani, Muhammad Nawaz, on the precision of a proper hold, run-up and launch.

Both men had participated in the Malaysian Open athletics championships in Ipoh, where Nawaz came as the gold and silver medallist of the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games respectively.

“Winning as a nobody was a priceless moment for me,” said Nashatar, who went on to take the bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games.

However you know Nashatar, his story is about unshakeable self-belief, unwavering tenacity and ambition.

A late starter, Nashatar morphed into a double Olympian (Tokyo 1964 and Mexico City 1968) and double international (athletics and rugby).

For 10 straight years, he was the flagbearer of the national contingent at multi-sport festivals, a record unlikely to be matched.

In the police force, he began as a crime buster, retiring in 1994 as deputy director of internal security and public order, with the rank of senior assistant commissioner.

On Jan 14, he was named Tokoh Sukan (sports icon) by the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) for outstanding achievements as athlete, national coach and administrator.

Speaking movingly about the award, Nashatar, who turns 85 in August, said it reminded him of the unifying role sport played in national life.

Chance athlete to natural born winner

Nashatar didn’t think about trying sports until his Welsh headmaster at Anderson School in Ipoh, GED Lewis, suggested it.

Lewis sensed talent in the towering 16-year-old form four student, and asked him to try out for the school rugby team.

The kid, born in Punjab, India, knew nothing about rugby.

But his build and physical strength turned him into a human wrecking ball, at times knocking down several players in one go.

Soon Nashatar was thrust into track and field, and he discovered his new abilities almost as quickly as rugby.

In school, things came naturally to him in the hurdles, high jump, triple jump, shot put and javelin.

But it was in javelin that he starred despite no coaching, often picking up injuries.

Anderson School had created a star to illuminate Malaysian athletics and rugby.

Mighty javelin master

Nashatar broke out laughing when asked whether, as much-talked, he walked away after his first javelin throw at local championships, and waited for the other throwers to catch up.

It cannot be denied that he was a mighty javelin master in Asia.

Many rattled at the sight of him thundering down the runway, twisting his torso, then slamming on the brakes with his left leg to launch the javelin.

Remarkably, he did it all on his own to win the Asian Games javelin title, six gold medals at the SEAP Games from 1965 to 1975, and three more in shot put at the 1967 and 1969 editions.

Nashatar offered a glowing smile when he was reminded that with a total of nine gold medals, he is third among athletes with the most number of top finishes at the SEA Games.

Heading the all-time list is Myanmar’s Jimmy Crampton with 12 gold medals in 800m (four), 1500m (six) and 5000m (two) between 1969 and 1979.

James Wong Tuck Yim of Singapore is second with 10 wins in discus (nine) and hammer (one) between 1993 and 2011.

Nashatar won the silver medal at the first Asian Track and Field championship in 1973, and four years later his protégé Ballang Lasung beat him to gold in his final outing at the SEA Games.

He said his biggest disappointment was failing to make the 12-man javelin final at the Mexico Olympics in 1968 after going down with fever and a sore throat.

His hurl of 70.70m was short of the 79m he had thrown during pre-Olympic training in Germany, and he finished a disappointing 23rd out of 27 competitors.

Asked why there are no top-notch javelin throwers in the country today, he snarled: “Where are they to train? Where’s the javelin throwing development plan?”

After his athletics career ended, he steered the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) as vice-president for six years.

He was its coaching chairman from 1978 to 1993, and as coach he groomed many athletes including Rabuan Pit, who won the 100m gold at the 1982 Asian Games.

His management skills later got him the role as director of operations for Sukom ’98, the private entity formed to organise the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

King of the lineout

Nashatar recalled he was a high court interpreter when he made the Perak All Blues, a rugby side that comprised only locals at a time when the state team was made up of Europeans.

He said his team won the All Blues title, beating Singapore in the final at the Merdeka Stadium in 1957.

The lock-forward later became a regular for Perak, North Malaya and the national side, which he captained for a year, and represented until 1966.

At 23, he followed in the footsteps of his policeman father, who had served the Raj in Punjab, by becoming a probationary inspector at the insistence of the Selangor police chief FAS Calwell.

Calwell wanted to turn the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) into a sporting powerhouse, and Nashatar endured as a mainstay of the title-winning rugby team until 1975.

So central was Nashatar to his side’s game plan, he was seldom rested given the over-reliance on his ability at the lineout.

“They called me the king of the lineout,” boomed Nashatar.

A lineout is formed by players from each team lining up inside the touchline. The aim of each player is to get their hands on the ball for their team.

Describing his fascination with rugby, Nashatar said the solidarity in the sport produced extrovert characters, passion, discipline and the will to succeed.

He said he managed to juggle between two sports as the rugby and athletics season did not clash.

Rugby training – running, pushing, jumping and tackling- and competitions, proved vital in conditioning him for the throws, he said.

Nash still dashing at 85

Nashatar (Nash) does not look his age, bearing the aura of a dashing and daring sporting hero.

On the home front, Nashatar and his wife Parkash Kaur are doting grandparents to four boys and a girl.

Over the years he’s gotten more and more concerned about everything, what he’s eating and drinking, how much he sleeps and how he keeps fit.

“After retirement, elite sport athletes should be physically active to ensure a healthier transition,” he said.

He plays golf at PDRM Titiwangsa Golf Club, which he had a hand in building, and where everybody knows his name.

Nashatar is still out there doing Nashatar things.