Olympic javelin gold medalist Arshad Nadeem was honored by the Pakistani government on Tuesday following his historic win at the Paris Games. Nadeem received $359,000 from Punjab’s chief minister Mariam Nawaz during a visit to his home in Mian Channu district. The cheque for 100 million rupees was accompanied by the keys to a new car with a special registration number “PAK 92.97” in recognition of Nadeem’s record-breaking throw of 92.97 meters at the Olympics, which set a new Olympic record. Nadeem’s coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, was also rewarded with 5 million rupees.

Nadeem’s remarkable achievement last week in surpassing the previous Olympic record brought joy and pride to the nation. This victory marked Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in four decades since the men’s field hockey team claimed gold in the 1984 Los Angeles Games. The last Olympic medal for Pakistan was a bronze in field hockey at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Praising Nadeem’s success, Chief Minister Nawaz expressed the immense happiness the athlete has brought to the country. Nadeem’s mother, Razia Parveen, also shared in the celebratory moment, with Nawaz acknowledging the influence of parental prayers in shaping an individual’s journey to success.

In further recognition of Nadeem’s achievement, the Pakistani government issued a special postage stamp featuring an image of the athlete holding his javelin. The stamp was released ahead of Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations, which are scheduled for Wednesday.

To mark this milestone in Pakistani sports history, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is hosting a reception in Islamabad for Nadeem and his family, underscoring the nation’s pride in its Olympic champion.