Pakistan rewards javelin champion Arshad Nadeem with $897,000 for record-breaking throw

Olympic javelin gold medalist Arshad Nadeem receives 250 million rupees in Pakistan for record-breaking throw celebration.

Olympic javelin gold medalist Arshad Nadeem received a total of 250 million rupees ($897,000) on Tuesday (August 13, 2024) as Pakistan continued to celebrate his record-breaking throw at the Paris Games.

Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced 150 million rupees ($538,000) for Nadeem at a special ceremony to honour the star athlete in Islamabad. Sharif's announcement came hours after Punjab's Chief Minister Mariam Nawaz visited Nadeem's house in a village in the Mian Channu district and presented him with a check for 100 million rupees ($359,000).

Nawaz also handed him the keys to a new car which has a special registration number of “PAK 92.97” to commemorate Nadeem's throw of 92.97 meters at Paris, which was an Olympic record. Nadeem's coach Salman Iqbal Butt was also given 5 million rupees ($18,000).

“You have doubled the delight of 250 million Pakistanis because we'll also celebrate our Independence Day tomorrow," Sharif said while announcing the money for Nadeem, whose father is a daily wage labourer. "Today every Pakistani is happy and the morale of the whole country is sky high.”

“The feeling is very good,” Nadeem said Tuesday (August 13, 2024). “I hope to stay fit and break the world record one day,” he added.

Last Thursday, Nadeem set off celebrations across Pakistan when his throw easily surpassed the previous Olympic mark of 90.57 set by Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway in 2008. It was also well clear of India's Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo champion, who reached a season-best 89.45 for silver.

“Arshad Nadeem has brought unprecedented happiness to the nation,” Nawaz said in a statement.