Sindh govt, governor announce cash prize for Olympics hero Arshad Nadeem
Arshad Nadeem’s win is arguably the country’s greatest moment in decades.
In a significant gesture of appreciation, the Sindh government and Governor Kamran Tessori have jointly announced a cash prize of Rs51 million for Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s javelin thrower who recently clinched a silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Sindh governor Karan Tessori announced Rs1m for Arshad Nadeem in a post on X, saying, “I announce Rs1m for national athlete Arshad Nadeem for his historical success.”
He detailed the javelin thrower’s achievement: “Many congratulations to the entire nation on the historic Olympics success.”
پیرس اولمپکس میں مینز جیولین تھرو کے ایونٹ کے فائنل میں قومی ایتھلیٹ ارشد ندیم نے اولمپکس کی 118 سالہ تاریخ کی سب سے بڑی 92.97 میٹر تھرو پھینک کر نہ صرف نیا عالمی ریکارڈ بنایا بلکہ گولڈ میڈل بھی جیت لیا۔ تاریخ ساز کامیابی پر قومی ایتھلیٹ ارشد ندیم کو ایک ملین روپے دینے کا اعلان… pic.twitter.com/ut0k0NLSuR
— Kamran Tessori (@KamranTessoriPk) August 8, 2024
“The Sindh government has announced Rs50m for the national hero,” state broadcaster PTV News quoted Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab as saying.
“A sports academy named after Arshad Nadeem would be established in Karachi,” Wahab was quoted as vowing.
پیرس اولمپکس میں تاریخی کامیابی۔۔۔چیئرمین سینیٹ،سپیکر قومی اسمبلی،وزیرداخلہ،وزرائے اعلیٰ اورچیئرمین پیپلزپارٹی بلاول بھٹوزرداری سمیت سیاسی قیادت کی ارشد ندیم کو مبارکباد۔۔۔سندھ حکومت کا قومی ہیروکے لئے پانچ کروڑ روپے انعام کا اعلان۔۔۔ ارشد ندیم کے نام سے کراچی میں سپورٹس… pic.twitter.com/K600NjoRXV
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) August 9, 2024
Today’s session of the National Assembly today also saw heaps of praise for the Olympic record-holder.
“The entire nation commends his victory and takes pride in it,” said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari addressing the floor.
“[Arshad] made possible what was impossible as a result of his hard work,” Bilawal said, asserting that the feat was “another evidence” that when Pakistan’s youth were given a chance, they won.
The PPP MNA called for consensus on supporting local talent, saying that the youth possessed enough capability to “not just win Olympics and cricket world cups but also football world cup” if the government supported them.
Bilawal brought attention to Karachi’s Lyari area, asserting that the children there had ample talent to win even FIFA games. He then recalled meeting a few girls in Peshawar who had obtained a black belt in Taekwondo and were winning medals for Pakistan.
“But unfortunately, neither the federal nor the provincial governments stood with [such talented people] as they should have,” Bilawal said.
He called on the federal sports minister to hold discussions with his provincial counterparts and establish an endowment fund for each province.
