Olympics: Arshad Nadeem arrives in Lahore on Turkish airlines

LAHORE: 2024 summer Olympics gold medalist Arshad Nadeem arrived at Lahore airport to a hero’s welcome in a Turkish airlines flight in early hours of Sunday.

The Olympics record holder’s Turkish airlines plane touched down on Lahore airport on Sunday post-midnight. Arshad Nadeem received a grand welcome by several high profile government officials and his family.

Read more: Arshad Nadeem: 2024 summer Olympics hero arrives at Lahore airport

Among those welcoming him back home include Information Minster (Punjab) Uzma Bukhari, Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives of Pakistan Iqbal Ahsan, former Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, among others.

The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) Chairman Major General (retd) Muhammad Akram Sahi was also among those welcoming Arshad Nadeem back home.

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As the national hero disembarked, he was welcomed with bouquet and later adorned with garlands placed around his neck. The Olympian was enthusiastically hugged by his father, as several government officials looked on.

Arshad Nadeem then addressed the media.

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According to reports, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari had instructed PPP members to warmly welcome the Olympian.

Meanwhile, Saad Rafique revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will later meet the gold medalist.

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Arshad Nadeem won gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics where he broke a 118-year old Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 metres. The Olympian athlete threw the javelin 88.72m, 79.40m, 84.87m and 91.79m in six rounds.

The javelin-thrower became the first Pakistani to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics after 40 years. He also ended a nearly 32-year drought of any Olympic medals for Pakistan.