Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif met star athlete Arshad Nadeem who helped Pakistan clinch its first Olympic gold in 40 years at the Paris Olympics 2024 men’s javelin throw.
The CM arrived at Nadeem’s house in his hometown Mian Channu and presented a cheque of Rs100 million to the javelin thrower on Tuesday.
She also presented the key of a Honda Civic car with the number plate “PAK 92.97” to Nadeem, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said in a statement. The number plate is in reference to the javelin throw that clocked in at 92.97 metres.
CM Maryam also gave a cheque of Rs5 million to Nadeem’s coach Salman Iqbal Butt.
Nadeem – Pakistan’s star athlete – ended a four-decade wait, beating India’s Neeraj Chopra who finished second at the Paris Olympics 2024 men’s javelin throw final last week.
The 27-year-old from Khanewal was Pakistan’s lone hope in Paris, and he lived up to the expectations with two throws that clocked in at over 90 metres.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation on Arshad Nadeem’s historic achievement.
Celebrities cheer for Arshad Nadeem as Pakistan hunts first Olympic medal in 32 years
“This victory will serve as an inspiring example for young athletes, proving that true dedication to a goal inevitably leads to success,” he said in a statement.
Departmental jobs could be launch pad for athletes
Later, while speaking to the media in Islamabad, Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem called for job opportunities for national athletes that according to him would be a launch pad for their careers in professional sports.
“So, I think if all departments in our country will give jobs to our players it will be an encouragement for them. It will be a place from where they will start their game,” he told reporters after meeting cabinet members in Islamabad on Tuesday.
His coach Salman Iqbal Butt and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accompanied him at the media talk.
He met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and ministers after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz called on him in his village and rewarded him with Rs100 million for the Olympic win.