President Asif Ali Zardari will award javelin ace Arshad Nadeem Hilal-e-Imtiaz for clinching a gold medal for Pakistan and setting a new record at the Paris Olympics 2024.
A special ceremony — recognising the 27-year-old athlete's distinguished services in the field of sports — will be held, wherein he will be awarded the second-highest civilian honour.
In this regard, Aiwan-e-Sadr has sent a letter to the Cabinet Division on Zardari's directives.
The letter highlights Nadeem's exceptional performance, which has brought great pride to the nation. His remarkable achievements on the global stage have become a source of national pride, as he has significantly elevated Pakistan's status in the field of athletics.
The president will bestow the civilian award on Nadeem under Article 259(2) of the Constitution, which allows the President to honour citizens for their valuable contributions across various fields.
Nadeem won the Olympic men’s javelin title in Paris on Thursday, beating defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India to secure Pakistan's first individual medal at a Summer Games.
The six-feet-three-inch-tall Nadeem made the country proud by hurling the javelin to 92.97 metres, improving the Olympic record by over 2.50 metres, and forcing the packed-to-capacity crowd to give him a standing ovation.
Before Arshad’s remarkable victory, Pakistan had never won an individual gold medal at the Olympics.
All of Pakistan’s previous three gold medals came in field hockey, with their team winning gold in 1960, 1968, and 1984.
Prior to Thursday, only two Pakistan athletes had won individual medals of any colour — with a wrestling bronze in 1960 and a boxing bronze in 1988.
Since the 1992 Barcelona Games, Pakistan has not won a medal of any kind.
Speaking exclusively to Geo News, Pakistani ace javelin thrower said: “It was my day. I could have thrown at a greater distance.”
This outstanding achievement has elevated Pakistan’s status on the global sports stage.
The 27-year-old will be returning to his hometown, Lahore, via Istanbul at night when the clock marks 1am on Sunday.
Nadeem’s hometown, Khanewal, is very excited to celebrate his triumph in grand style.
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