ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: Pakistan will honour the ace athlete Arshad Nadeem with Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the second highest award of the country, for his stupendous feat at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, it was announced on Saturday.
The government also directed for a commemorative stamp titled ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ (commitment to stability) to be issued on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day next week.
The 27-year-old won the gold at the elite men’s javelin throw competition with a mammoth 92.97 m throw on Thursday at Paris which broke the Olympic record of 90.57 m set at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. It is the first individual gold in 40 years for the country.
Following the directive by President Asif Ali Zardari, his office sent a letter to the Cabinet Division for the formal conferment of the award, according to state media.
“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.
The civil award will be presented to Nadeem in a special ceremony by the president recognising his outstanding contributions in the field of sport.
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed a commemorative stamp titled ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ (commitment to stability) to be issued on the occasion of Pakistan’s 77th Independence Day on August 14.
The stamp, bearing the title ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ symbolises the nation’s dedication to progress and stability. The design features Nadeem’s image and also has an image of Minar-e-Pakistan, the symbol of national unity.
Before Nadeem’s victory, Pakistan had never won an individual gold medal in the Olympics. Before this, only two Pakistani athletes had won individual medals of any colour — Mohammad Bashir’s wrestling bronze in 1960 and Hussain Shah’s boxing bronze in 1988.
Ever since his achievement at Paris, Nadeem has been showered with cash awards by Punjab, his home province, and other provincial governments and organisations.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday announced a cash award of Rs 100 million; the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Sindh government announced Rs 50 million, while the Sukkur city mayor announced a ‘gold crown’ for him.
Maryam Nawaz also said a sports city named after the athlete would be built in his hometown of Khanewal in the Punjab province. Two sports facilities, one in Karachi and another in Sukkur cities of Sindh will also be named after Arshad Nadeem. (PTI)
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