Arshad Nadeem’s gold medal win in the javelin throw final of Paris Olympics, with a record-breaking throw of 92.97 meters, has been met with overwhelming national pride.
The athlete is set to receive a total of over PKR 150 million in rewards from various government officials, celebrities, and organizations.
The major contributions include:
1. PKR 100 million pledged by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz
2. PKR 2 million announced by Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan
3. PKR 50 million from Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, with an additional PKR 1 million from Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori
4. PKR 1 million each from popular singer Ali Zafar and cricketer Ahmad Shahzad
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday issued instructions to award one of the country’s highest civilian honors to javelin ace Arshad Nadeem, who won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics with a massive throw of 92.97 meters this week.
Nadeem, who hails from a poor family in a rural settlement in the central Pakistani region of Khanewal, made history by ending his country’s 32-year Olympic medal drought while setting a new Games record.
He was expected to face tight competition from other athletes, particularly India’s defending champion Neeraj Chopra, but put significant pressure on them with his record-breaking throw on the second attempt.
