Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz visited Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem on Tuesday in his hometown of Mian Channu, where she gave him a cheque for Rs. 100 million.
Arshad created history last week in Paris by breaking the record with his incredible 92.97-meter throw at the Games and securing Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in 40 years.
With Arshad’s Olympic victory, Pakistan won its first track and field medal, its first individual gold medal, and the second time a South Asian has finished on the podium in the sport.
Since then, the country has been in jubilation, with officials declaring the Hilal-i-Imtiaz award and monetary rewards of over Rs155 million for the sportsman, who was welcomed back to his village of Mian Channu like a hero.
CM Maryam was welcomed by the javelin star and his family when she arrived in Mian Channu by helicopter today to visit Arshad at his house.
A press statement states that Maryam gave Arshad the Rs. 100 million cheque with a Honda Civic car that was specially registered PAK-92.97 to honor the athlete’s winning throw.
The chief minister also praised Salman Iqbal Butt, Arshad’s coach, for the training he gave the javelin superstar by giving him a cheque for Rs. 5 million.