Arshad Nadeem To Receive Pakistan’s Second Highest Civilian Honour ‘Hilal-E-Imtiaz’
NEW DELHI: Pakistan will bestow athlete Arshad Nadeem with Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the second highest civilian award of the country, for his momentous achievement in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, it was announced on Saturday.
The 27-year-old won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw final with a sensational 92.97m throw on Thursday at the Summer Games 2024 which broke the Olympic record. He won Pakistan’s first individual gold in 40 years.
President Asif Ali Zardari announced the decision, praising Nadeem’s achievement as a source of immense pride for Pakistan.
“Arshad Nadeem’s remarkable performance has made the nation proud on the global stage. His outstanding success in athletics is a source of pride for the country,” President Zardari stated in his letter.
Nadeem will be awarded with the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in a special ceremony by the president recognising his outstanding contributions in the field of sport. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also directed for a commemorative stamp titled “Azm-e-Istehkam” (Commitment to Stability). The stamp will feature Nadeem’s image alongside the iconic Minar-e-Pakistan.
After the achievement, Nadeem has been awarded many cash awards and honours. Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a cash award of Rs 100 million on Friday and the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Sindh government announced Rs 50 million. The mayor of Sukkur city announced a ‘gold crown’ for him.
Punjab CM also said that a sports city will be named after Nadeem and it will be built in his hometown Khanewal. The sports facility in Karachi and in Sukkur city of Sindh will also be named after Arshad Nadeem.
After winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, Arshad said that he thinks about his origins which motivates him to do better. He also said that he had to go through a very tough time to make it to this stage.
“I come from a farming village, and every time I win a medal I think about my origins and that motivates me to do better. That’s the reason I have remained humble and that’s why I want to become more successful. I had to go through very tough times to make it to this stage,” Arshad Nadeem said as quoted by the PTI.
