PM Shehbaz Sharif to receive Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem at airport

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will receive Pakistan’s javelin thrower Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem at Lahore airport, his coordinator Rana Mashood confirmed Saturday.

“The prime minister will himself welcome our national hero Arshad Nadeem today at Lahore airport,” Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Development Programme Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan said.

Arshad Nadeem, who created history by ending the country’s 32-year medal drought, is set to return to Pakistan on Sunday.

Arshad became the first-ever individual gold medalist in the Olympics for Pakistan.

As per the schedule, the gold medalist will arrive in Lahore at 1 am, on Sunday, travelling via Istanbul. He will be accompanied by the Chairman of South Asian Athletics, Muhammad Akram Sahi.

Upon his return to homeland, a grand reception is planned for the champion, with his coach, Salman Butt, also returning alongside him.

The Athletics Federation of Pakistan and the Sports Board of Punjab are busy making arrangements to provide a grand reception to the national hero.

Pakistan’s javelin ace Arshad Nadeem on Friday received his gold medal during a presentation ceremony at the Paris Olympics 2024.

The ceremony was held in the Champions Park near the Eiffel Tower in the French capital.

It is pertinent to mention that 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.

He surpassed Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, who threw farthest at 90.57 during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Following his triumph at the Paris Olympics 2024, Punjab government announced Rs100 million for Arshad.

Sindh government had also announced a Rs50 million reward for Pakistan’s star athlete Arshad Nadeem.