Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem was showered with gifts on his return home to Pakistan after winning first place in the javelin throw at the Paris Olympics. In total, Nadeem raised 250 million rupees ($897,000) on Tuesday, according to both Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – who gave 150 million rupees ($538,000) at a ceremony in Nadeem’s honour – and Punjab Chief Minister Mariam Nawaz, who presented Nadeem with a cheque for 100 million rupees ($359,000) at home just hours earlier. But that was not all; the 27-year-old was also gifted a new car, with the registration number “PAK 92.97” in honour of Nadeem’s Olympic record throw of 92.97 metres in Paris. Nadeem’s coach Salman Iqbal Butt received a slightly smaller cash prize worth 5 million rupees ($18,000). “You have doubled the joy of 250 million Pakistanis because we are also celebrating our Independence Day tomorrow,” Sharif said, according to the Associated Press. He added while announcing the money for Nadeem, “Today every Pakistani is happy and the morale across the country is sky high.” Reacting to the news, Nadeem said, “The feeling is very good. I hope to stay fit and break the world record one day.”
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