Pakistan rewards javelin champion for record-breaking throw at Paris Olympics
Olympic javelin gold medalist, Arshad Nadeem, received a total of 250 million rupees ($897,000) on Tuesday as Pakistan continued to celebrate his record-breaking throw at the Paris Games.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced 150 million rupees ($538,000) for Nadeem at a special ceremony to honour the star athlete in Islamabad. Sharif ’s announcement came hours after Punjab’s chief minister, Mariam Nawaz, visited Nadeem’s house in a village in the Mian Channu district and presented him with a check for 100 million rupees ($359,000).
Nawaz also handed him the keys to a new car which has a special registration number of “PAK 92.97” to commemorate Nadeem’s throw of 92.97 meters at Paris, which was an Olympic record. Nadeem’s coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, was also given 5 million rupees ($18,000).
Last Thursday, Nadeem set off celebrations across Pakistan when his throw easily surpassed the previous Olympic mark of 90.57 set by Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway in 2008. It was also well clear of India’s Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo champion, who reached a season-best 89.45 for silver.
“Arshad Nadeem has brought unprecedented happiness to the nation,” Nawaz said in a statement.
Nadeem won Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in 40 years, when the men’s field hockey team won at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Pakistan’s last medal of any color was a field hockey bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Later Tuesday, Nadeem and his family were flown to Islamabad on a special flight from Multan to attend a reception hosted by Sharif, who paid tribute to the athlete during a cabinet meeting.
Pakistan is predominantly known for cricket in the sporting world with the country winning the 1992 World Cup.
Pakistan red-ball head coach, Jason Gillespie, said Nadeem will be invited to the dressing room of the Pakistan cricket team during the first test match.
Nadeem also has a special postage stamp in his honour depicting his record throw.
—AP
