ISLAMABAD: Haider Ali returned home on Tuesday after winning the bronze medal in the Men’s Discus Throw F37 event at the Paris Paralympics 2024.
However, he did not receive a hero’s welcome with only a few officials from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and members of the National Paralympic Committee receiving him at Islamabad Airport.
Pakistan’s most successful para-athlete arrived back home on Tuesday on an international flight after securing another medal at the Paralympics on Thursday.
For the unversed, he bagged his fourth Paralympic medal at the iconic Stade de France in Paris last week.
During the Discus Throw F37 event, Haider Ali secured the medal with an impressive final throw, which soared to a distance of 52.54 meters.
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Prior to the Paralympics, Pakistan’s star athlete Arshad Nadeem ended the country’s 32-year medal drought in the Olympics after bagging a gold medal with the longest throw of 92.97 meters in the javelin final of the Paris Olympics 2024.
Unlike Haider Ali, Arshad received a grand welcome upon his return to the country as he was received by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif.
A large crowd, including family members, federal ministers, and dignitaries, gathered at the airport to greet the champion, while people from his hometown, Mian Channu, also reached Lahore to participate in the celebrations
As Arshad Nadeem’s flight entered Pakistani airspace, the air traffic controller extended a warm welcome, praising him for bringing honour to the country.
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