Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will personally welcome Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist, upon his arrival at Lahore airport. Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Development Programme, confirmed this on Saturday.
Arshad Nadeem, who ended Pakistan’s 32-year medal drought by winning gold, will land in Lahore at 1 a.m. on Sunday, after traveling from Istanbul. He will be accompanied by Muhammad Akram Sahi, Chairman of South Asian Athletics.
A grand reception is planned for Nadeem, with his coach Salman Butt also returning with him. The Athletics Federation of Pakistan and the Sports Board of Punjab are making extensive preparations for the event.
Nadeem received his gold medal during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics 2024, held at the Champions Park near the Eiffel Tower. He made history as Pakistan’s first individual Olympic gold medalist.
In his initial attempt, Nadeem did not perform as expected, but he made a stunning comeback with a throw of 92.97 meters in his second attempt, setting a new Olympic record. He surpassed Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, who had previously set the record with a throw of 90.57 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Following his victory, the Punjab government announced a reward of Rs100 million for Nadeem, while the Sindh government also pledged Rs50 million in recognition of his achievement.
