Arshad Nadeem on Thursday became the first Pakistani individual to ever win a gold medal at the Olympics, setting a new world record with his 92.97-meter throw.
Representing the country in the Javelin Throw event, he broke the record previously set by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Nadeem’s victory marks the first ever individual gold medal in Olympics for Pakistan, the first in athletics, and the first in any sport in 40 years. The last medal win by Pakistan was in 1992, when its national hockey team clinched bronze by defeating the Netherlands 4-3 at the Barcelona Olympics.
The silver medal in the Javelin was secured by India’s Neeraj Chopra, who made a throw of 89.45m. Grenada’s Anderson Peters fetched the bronze medal with a throw of 88.54m.
After his win, 27-year-old Nadeem told Geo News he was hopeful of his victory, as he felt it was his day. He also hope to celebrate Pakistan’s independence day with the medal.
Praising Nadeem for his victory, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared the athlete had made history. “Pakistan’s first Olympic men’s javelin champion, Arshad Nadeem brings home a historic gold medal at Paris 2023. You’ve made the whole nation proud young man,” he wrote in a posting on X, formerly Twitter.
The armed forces of Pakistan, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and services chiefs also congratulated the nation over the great achievement of Nadeem.
Similarly, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said Nadeem had not only won the gold medal, but also “the nation’s heart.” On behalf of the Sindh government, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab announced a cash award of Rs. 50 million for Nadeem for his Olympic record.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also congratulated Nadeem in a posting on X. “What amazing talent the youth of Pakistan have to offer. You have made us all proud,” he said.