By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: Pakistan welcomed home its golden boy, Arshad Nadeem, with a hero’s welcome early Sunday, as thousands gathered to hail the Olympic javelin champion with rose petals, cheers, and tears of pride after his historic victory at the Paris Games ended a 40-year wait for an individual gold medal.
Nadeem, who set a new Olympic record with a staggering 92.97-meter throw, was greeted by top officials, including federal and provincial ministers, his beaming family, a large crowd of fans, and a sea of green and white flags waving in celebration at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.
The Olympic hero’s Turkish Airlines flight was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute, shooting arcs of water into the air, on the directives of the provincial Punjab government.
As Nadeem stepped off the flight, clad in a green T-shirt, the ecstatic crowd erupted into cheers, showering him with petals and celebrating to the beat of drumbeats and patriotic slogans.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, youth program head Rana Mashhood, and junior IT Minister Shaza Fatima were among the government officials who received Nadeem, garlanding him with floral wreaths. Family, relatives, and fellow athletes, including former coach Fayyaz Bukhari and Asian Games silver medalist Yasir Ali, were among the throngs of well-wishers at the airport.
Nadeem thanked the nation for its love and honor.
“There is a long journey behind this success. I worked hard day and night to get the medal,” he told reporters. “There was a lot of hard work behind this achievement. I performed well at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and had hoped for a medal there, but at that time, I was not fully fit due to an elbow problem and could not excel. However, even my fans and others gave me honor and respect. My doctor worked hard on my fitness problem, while my coach Salman Butt also helped me a lot.”
Nadeem’s historic performance in Paris marked Pakistan’s first individual medal at a Summer Games, beating defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India in a one-sided finale.
Nadeem’s triumphant return marks a milestone for Pakistan, which had not seen an Olympic gold since 1984, when the national hockey team took top honors in Los Angeles. His achievement also ended a decades-long drought for the country, which last saw an Olympic medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
The javelin star arrived in his hometown via a double-decker bus, escorted by the Punjab police, as hundreds of fans and well-wishers lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the champion.
In Lahore, the police provided Nadeem with VVIP protocol, deploying over 150 police officers and personnel to escort his vehicle. An elite convoy led and followed his bus, accompanied by a traffic pilot and a DSP-ranked officer.
As the convoy made its way through the route, relevant divisional SPs, along with their respective SDPOs and SHOs, received Nadeem at different points.
President Asif Ali Zardari has directed that Olympic javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem be awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the country’s second-highest civilian honor, in recognition of his record-breaking performance at the Paris Olympics 2024, the president’s office said.
“Arshad Nadeem’s achievement has brought immense pride to the nation, significantly elevating Pakistan’s status in athletics.”
The award will be conferred upon Nadeem in a special ceremony, acknowledging his distinguished services in the field of sports, under Article 259(2) of the Constitution.
Separately, the government has issued a commemorative postage stamp featuring Nadeem, titled ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’, to mark Pakistan’s Independence Day.
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