On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a grand dinner at the Prime Minister’s House to honour Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s javelin thrower who clinched a historic gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. Nadeem, accompanied by his family, was welcomed warmly by PM Shehbaz upon arrival.
In his Olympic final, Nadeem achieved a groundbreaking 92.97-meter throw, marking Pakistan’s first individual gold in the Olympics, the nation’s first in athletics, and the first gold in any sport in forty years.
During the celebration, PM Shehbaz announced a reward of Rs150 million for Nadeem, alongside numerous accolades recognizing his outstanding achievement just before the Independence Day celebrations. The Prime Minister also declared the road connecting Islamabad’s F9 and F10 sectors would be renamed in Nadeem’s honour, celebrating this as a magnificent gift to the nation.
Additionally, Nadeem will be awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the second-highest civilian award. Looking forward, PM Shehbaz disclosed plans for the “Arshad Nadeem High-Performance Academy” at Jinnah Stadium Islamabad to train youth and athletes for future Olympics.
The Prime Minister also introduced a Rs1 million sports endowment fund to support players’ welfare, retirement needs, and training enhancements.
Read: Maryam Nawaz Presents 10 Crore and Custom Car to Arshad Nadeem for Olympic Win
At the event, Nadeem expressed gratitude towards his family and the nation for their support, which propelled him to break the Olympic javelin throw record. He committed to rigorous training for upcoming competitions to set another world record.
Upon his arrival in Islamabad on a chartered plane, Nadeem and his family received a state protocol welcome at the Nur Khan Airbase, led by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who praised him as a national hero and state guest. During the main Independence Day ceremony, Nadeem was invited to unfurl the Pakistani flag with PM Shehbaz.
