PM Shehbaz announces Rs150 million reward for Arshad Nadeem

ISLAMABAD: A lavish dinner was hosted by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday for the country’s pride and ace javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who won a gold medal at Paris Olympics 2024.

In the final quest of the Paris Olympics 2024, Nadeem lauched a massive javelin throw of 92.97-metre and secured the first-ever individual gold medal in Olympics for Pakistan, maiden athletics and first gold in any discipline in the last 40 years.

Nadeem along with his mother and family received a grand welcome by PM Shehbaz when they reached the Prime Minister House for the feast.

While addressing a ceremony after the dinner, the prime minister announced a prize of Rs150 million, one of the many rewards to honour the Pakistani star as the country’s citizens continue to celebrate the high feat achieved he achieved prior to the festivities of Independence Day on Wednesday.

The esteemed reward was declared by the premier in regards to Nadeem's incredible performance at the sports event setting a new record and securing a gold medal.

Expressing his delight by the javelin ace's accomplishment, PM Shehbaz also announced the decision of naming the road leading to Islamabad’s F9 from F10 sector after the Nadeem and called it a splendid gift for the nation ahead of the Independence Day (August 14).

The premier also announced to honour the athlete with the second highest civilian award, Hilal-i-Imtiaz.

Disclosing his plans for the 2028 Olympics, the prime minister said that youth and athletes will receive training at a sports academy, which will soon be established inside the Jinnah Stadium Islamabad. The training centre will be named "Arshad Nadeem High Performance Academy".

"Young athletes will be trained to participate in the next Olympics by receiving training in this academy," PM Shehbaz added.

Moreover, the premier also announced a sports endowment fund worth Rs1 million for the prosperity of the players, needs of the retired players and provision of better training opportunities for them.

Addressing the event, Arshad expressed gratitude towards his family and the nation for their prayers, which he said had enabled him to break the Olympic record for the javelin throw event.

He also thanked public for the welcome upon his arrival to Pakistan, saying it was “even more so than my medal”.

Arshad pledged to "train fully for all upcoming competitions" and make another world record.

Earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar acorded a warm welcome to Nadeem and his family, who arrived in Islamabad on a charter plane, at the Nur Khan Airbase. Nadeem's entourage were given state protocol.

Talking to the media on the occasion, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who received Nadeem, said that the gold medallist is a national hero and a state guest.

He said that besides the banquet hosted at the PM House in Arshad's honour, the athlete has been invited to the main Independence Day ceremony, where he would unfurl the Pakistani flag alongside PM Shehbaz in the flag hoisting event.