Arshad Nadeem's record throw lands Pakistan's first gold in 40 years
8:51 AM EDT, August 15, 2024
Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan, who won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics with a throw of 305 feet and set an Olympic record, received a prize of 250 million Pakistani rupees, equivalent to 897 thousand dollars. The average monthly salary in this Asian country is 293 dollars.
150 million Pakistani rupees were awarded to him by the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and 100 million by Maryam Nawaz, the first female prime minister of Pakistan's most populous state, Punjab, where the champion hails from. Nawaz also visited the javelin thrower's hometown village in the Mian Channu district and met with his family.
The amount is not arbitrary, as Pakistan is currently home to over 250 million people.
Arshad Nadeem. Olympic record and millions for the Pakistani
The Pakistani outpaced world champion, Tokyo Olympian Neeraj Chopra from India (293 feet), and Grenada's Anderson Peters (290 feet) in Paris. Marcin Krukowski and Cyprian Mrzygłód were eliminated in the qualifiers.
Nadeem also received a car with a special license plate "PAK 305," referencing the Olympic record. He will also be commemorated by the national post with a special stamp.
His coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, will have to settle for 5 million PKR (18 thousand dollars).
The javelin thrower won Pakistan's first gold medal in 40 years. In 1984, the field hockey team won the Olympic Championship. The team was the last to stand on the podium before Paris, earning a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
