Arshad Nadeem at Paris Olympics 2024.© X (Twitter)
Athlete Arshad Nadeem is the new talk of the town and celebrations in Pakistan are not going to end anytime soon. Nadeem edged past India's Neeraj Chopra to bag the prestigious gold medal in men's javelin throw event at Paris Olympics 2024. Arshad, by hitting 92.97m, beat Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo champion, for the top podium spot despite the Indian hitting his season-best 89.45 for silver. Wishes and gifts are pouring in from all over the country for Nadeem with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also felicitating the athlete.
During the felicitation ceremony, Arshad's wife was asked by some journalists about the thoughts she had while husband was performing in Paris. She stated that she kept praying to god during the entire throw.
"I was very tensed. I kept on praying to god for my husband's victory, so he can win the gold medal for Pakistan. The entire country's wished for him and it worked in his favour," Nadeem's wife Ayesha told journalists.
Arshad Nadeem's wife says she prayed a lot for him to win the Gold medal in Paris because it wasn't only his Gold, but also Pakistan's first Gold medal at the Olympics after 40 years. What a statement Ma Shaa Allah 🇵🇰#IndependenceDay2024 pic.twitter.com/qN8wMFoyaz
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) August 14, 2024
"Whenever he used to feel demotivated and low, the entire family used to support him and pray for him, so he can get up and perform again. We used to tell him that his wife's. mother's, and the entire family's blessings are always with him," she added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a cash prize of PKR 150 million (approx. INR 4.5 crore) and a civil award for Pakistani javelin hero Arshad. Sharif also promised a whopping sum of PKR 100 million for Arshad's coach Salman Iqbal Butt.
"Success of Arshad Nadeem provides ample proof that meager resources, difficulties and challenges are not a hurdle in the way of success," Sharif said.
The Pakistan PM also announced Hilal Imtiaz, the second-highest civilian award, for Nadeem. Not just that, the announcement of the establishment of Arshad Nadeem High-Performance Academy at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad, was also made. The Pakistan PM also announced the establishment of a sports endowment fund of PKR 1 billion.