Paris Olympics 2024: Arshad Nadeem, despite facing challenges and limited facilities in his preparations for the Paris Olympics, was celebrated as a hero upon his return to Lahore. Pakistan recognized his extraordinary achievement with a grand welcome. Earlier, Nadeem surprised everyone with a monster throw of 92.97m on Friday (August 9) including Neeraj Chopra. He won gold medal for Pakistan and scripted history for Pakistan at the Olympics. Interestingly, he had two monster throws of 90m plus in his five attempts whereas Chopra failed to breach the 90m mark yet again.
Nadeem wasn’t the top contender in the men’s javelin throw, with much of the attention focused on Neeraj Chopra, who had claimed gold at the Tokyo Olympics three years earlier. However, while Chopra faced injury issues and had a subdued performance, Nadeem delivered an outstanding throw of 92.97 meters on his second attempt, securing the gold medal. This remarkable throw not only shattered the Olympic record of 90.57 meters set by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen at the 2008 Beijing Games but also made Nadeem Pakistan’s first-ever individual gold medalist at the Olympics. It was the country’s first Olympic medal since the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Upon arriving at Lahore airport on Sunday, Nadeem was greeted with a water cannon salute and a rapturous reception from thousands of fans. He was met by his family, including his father, who draped a garland around his neck as the crowd chanted, “Long Live Arshad Nadeem! Long Live Pakistan!” Following this, he enjoyed a victory parade through the city in an open bus. Approximately 150 security personnel, along with an elite convoy, ensured his safety throughout the celebrations.
Huge Huge Huge respect for #Arshad_Nadeem #ArshadNadeem pic.twitter.com/5pg7iuuGTL — Qadir Khawaja (@iamqadirkhawaja) August 11, 2024
In recognition of his historic accomplishment, various provincial governments and organizations had already announced cash rewards. Additionally, President Asif Ali Zardari declared that Nadeem would be honored with Pakistan’s second-highest civilian award, the Hilal-i-Imtiaz.
“I am grateful to God, my parents, and the Pakistani nation,” Nadeem told the cheering crowd. “This success is the result of immense hard work by me and my coach, Salman Butt.”
In 2015, Nadeem started competing in javelin throw events and quickly made his mark. In 2016, he got bronze at the South Asian Games in Guwahati, India with a national record of 78.33 meters. Nadeem made a name for himself during the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar when he became the only athlete to compete in the competition. Nadeem’s story from a school boy who was interested in sports to an Olympic record-breaker is an example that anyone can achieve everything with hardwork and dedication.