Honoring the athlete’s valor in the Olympics in Paris, the prime minister of Pakistan awarded Arshad Nadeem’s graduation prizes.
Arshad Nadeem, a Pakistani athlete, is still reaping rewards for making history in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris by winning the nation’s first-ever gold medal in individual sports. Rewards, both monetary and in-kind, have been rolling in since Arshad returned to Pakistan. The Pakistani javelin hero Arshad will receive a civil award and a monetary prize of PKR 150 million (about INR 4.5 crore) on Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.Last week, Nadeem shattered the Olympic record of 90.57 established by Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway in 2008 with his throw in the men’s javelin final, sending Pakistan into a frenzy. Arshad beat Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo winner, for the top podium slot with 92.97m, despite the Indian setting his season-best 89.45 for silver.
Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif paid respect to the athlete who made the country proud in Paris at a dinner ceremony in Islamabad in honor of Nadeem. He also pledged PKR 100 million to Salman Iqbal Butt, Arshad’s tutor.
“Success of Arshad Nadeem provides ample proof that meager resources, difficulties and challenges are not a hurdle in the way of success,” Sharif told reporters.
The Pakistan Prime Minister also presented Nadeem with the Hilal Imtiaz, the country’s second-highest civilian award. Not only that, but the Arshad Nadeem High-Performance Academy was announced to be established at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad. The Prime Minister of Pakistan also announced the establishment of a PKR 1 billion sports endowment fund.
“Good news is coming from all directions,” Tarar added, referring to the festivities that have taken place across Pakistan since Arshad won the gold medal in Paris.
“Arshad Nadeem received a befitting welcome for his extraordinary achievement; his plane was given a water cannon salute,” according to Tarar. He also pushed producers to depict the athlete’s journey from Mian Channu to Paris in a biographical film.
