Pakistani javelin star Arshad Nadeem sets Olympic record, wins millions
Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan, who won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics with a throw of 93 metres and set an Olympic record, received a prize of 250 million Pakistani rupees, approximately £738,000. The average monthly salary in this Asian country is about £240.
150 million Pakistani rupees were awarded to him by the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and 100 million by Maryam Nawaz, the first female prime minister of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous state, where the champion hails from. Nawaz also visited the javelin thrower's hometown village in the Mian Channu district and met with his family.
The amount is substantial, as Pakistan is currently home to over 250 million people.
Arshad Nadeem. Olympic record and millions for the Pakistani
The Pakistani outpaced world champion and Tokyo Olympian Neeraj Chopra from India (89 metres) and Grenada's Anderson Peters (88 metres) in Paris.
Nadeem also received a car with a special license plate "PAK 93" referencing the Olympic record. He will also be commemorated by the national post with a special stamp.
His coach Salman Iqbal Butt will have to settle for 5 million PKR (about £15,000).
The javelin thrower won the first gold medal for Pakistan in 40 years. In 1984, the Olympic Championship was won by the field hockey team. The team was the last to stand on the podium before Paris, earning a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
