2024-08-15 03:41:51
Islamabad: Olympic javelin throw gold medallist Arshad Nadeem on Tuesday received a total of Rs 250 million (US$ 897,000) in prize money as Pakistan continued to celebrate his record-breaking performance at the Paris Games. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced a cash prize of Rs 150 million (US$ 538,000) for the star athlete at a special ceremony held in Nadeem’s honour in Islamabad.
Sharif made the announcement hours after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz visited Nadeem’s house in a village in Mian Channu district and handed him a cheque of Rs 10 crore (359,000 USD). Maryam also handed him the keys of a new car with a special registration number ‘PAK 92.97’ which signifies Nadeem’s throw of 92.97 metres in Paris, an Olympic record. Nadeem’s coach Salman Iqbal Butt was also given Rs 50 lakh (18,000 USD).
Sharif announced the prize money for Nadeem, saying, “You have doubled the happiness of 25 crore Pakistanis as we will also celebrate our Independence Day tomorrow.” He said, “Today every Pakistani is happy and the morale of the whole country is sky high.” Nadeem’s father is a daily wage laborer. Nadeem said on Tuesday, “This feeling is very good. I hope I will stay fit and break the world record one day.” Last Thursday, Nadeem gave the whole of Pakistan a chance to celebrate when his throw easily surpassed Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen’s previous Olympic record of 90.57 meters set in 2008.
This was well ahead of the effort of Tokyo Games champion Neeraj Chopra of India, who won the silver medal with his season’s best of 89.45m. “Arshad Nadeem has given the nation unprecedented joy,” Maryam said in a statement. Nadeem won Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in 40 years. Earlier, the men’s hockey team won the gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Pakistan’s last Olympic medal was a bronze medal in hockey at the 1992 Barcelona Games. “Parents’ blessings take a person to great heights,” Maryam said in her post on ‘X’.
We have to collect the goods… What did Arshad Nadeem say to the reporter’s question, the gold medalist’s tongue slipped!
During this time, he also shared a picture with Nadeem and his mother Razia Parveen. On Tuesday itself, Nadeem and his family were sent to Islamabad by a special flight from Multan to attend a ceremony organized by Sharif. Nadeem was praised during the cabinet meeting. Sharif said, ‘Nadeem has raised the name of Pakistan across the world with his hard work day and night, prayers of parents and training of coach.’
Pakistan is mainly known for cricket in the sports world and its team won the World Cup in 1992. Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood said in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s podcast on Tuesday, “It was incredible to see him waving the flag and ringing the Olympic bell.” Pakistan’s Test team head coach Jason Gillespie said that Nadeem will be invited to the dressing room of the Pakistan cricket team during the first Test match against Bangladesh.