Arshad Nadeem says turned down int’l offers after Tokyo Olympics

ISLAMABAD: Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem has revealed that he was offered to leave Pakistan after the Tokyo Olympics but he chose to stay in Pakistan.

Arshad Nadeem’s 84.62-meter throw earned him fifth place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), where India’s javelin ace Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal with a throw of 87.58 meters.

Speaking on Geo News, Arshad Nadeem shared that several countries approached him, offering to train him and make him a world champion, but he refused.

“I love the soil of Pakistan. I will train here, become a world champion here, and make Pakistan’s name shine globally,” Nadeem said.

During the programme, Arshad Nadeem’s mother also spoke, saying that she would invite Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra to visit Pakistan.

It should be noted that Arshad Nadeem recently won a gold medal for Pakistan in the men’s javelin throw event at the Paris Olympics, marking the first time in 40 years that a Pakistani athlete has won Olympic gold. He set a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters, becoming the first Pakistani athlete to win an individual Olympic gold medal.

Rewards Showered on Arshad

Following his gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics, Arshad Nadeem was showered with awards at the government level. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited him to Islamabad and presented him with a cheque for Rs150 million.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz awarded Nadeem Rs100 million and a car with a special number plate, while the Sindh government announced an additional Rs50 million reward.

The governors of Sindh and Punjab also announced rewards, and the International Association of Athletics Federations has declared that it will award 50 thousand dollars to gold medal winners of the 2024 Paris Olympics.