Pakistan’s star athlete Arshad Nadeem received a grand welcome upon his return to the country after capturing the Paris Olympics Gold medal in the Javelin throw.
Arshad was accompanied by the Chairman of South Asian Athletics, Muhammad Akram Sahi and his coach Salman Butt.
According to the details, Arshad touched down at Allama Iqbal International Airport here in the wee hours of Sunday and 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.
Speaking to the media at the airport, Arshad Nadeem reflected on his journey, emphasizing that his victory was the result of relentless hard work and dedication from both him and his coach.
“This success represents a long journey of perseverance,” he said, expressing gratitude to the Pakistan Sports Board and his coach for their unwavering support.
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Earlier today, President Asif Ali Zardari directed the conferment of Hilal-e-Imtiaz upon star athlete Arshad Nadeem for his ground-breaking performance in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.
“The President will confer the civil award upon Arshad Nadeem during a special ceremony to be held in recognition of his prominent performance in sports. The President will confer the civil award under Article 259 (2) of the Constitution,” President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release, on Saturday.
Under the constitutional provision, the president can confer civil awards to Pakistani citizens in recognition of their meritorious services in different fields of life.
Upon the President’s directive, a letter had been dispatched by the Aiwan-e-Sadr to the Cabinet Division, in this regard.
President Zardari said that Arshad Nadeem, with his brilliant performance, had made the nation proud in the field of sports.
Arshad Nadeem became the first-ever individual gold medalist in the Olympics for Pakistan.
In the first stage, the star javelin player failed to make a mark in his first attempt, however, he made a remarkable recovery with 92.97m in his second attempt, a new Olympic record, which was eventually proved sufficient for him to secure the gold at the Paris Olympics.
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