Empty promises for real gold: Olympic medallist Arshad Nadeem reveals truth behind Pakistan’s fake promises after his win

Pakistan's Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem has raised concerns over unfulfilled government promises, including the allotment of land plots, following his historic win at the Paris Olympics. Nadeem clinched gold with a record-breaking throw of 92.97 metres, finishing ahead of India's Neeraj Chopra, who took silver at the Stade de France.

"Out of all the prize announcements made for me, all the plot announcements were fake, which I did not receive. Apart from that, I have received all the cash prizes that were announced," Geo TV quoted him as saying.

Nadeem's achievement marked Pakistan's first gold medal in track and field, leading to numerous rewards from government authorities, provincial bodies, and private organisations. Despite these challenges, Nadeem remains committed to his preparation for the upcoming World Championships in September.


"My entire focus is on myself, but apart from that, we train any youth who comes to us for training, and this training is given by my coach Salman Butt," he stated.

People pooled money for Naveed to train

Nadeem's journey is celebrated not because of institutional support but despite the lack thereof. When he took up javelin, Nadeem reportedly did not have much money. According to his father, Muhammad Ashraf, people pooled money so that he can train.

“People have no idea how Arshad got to this place today. How his fellow villagers and relatives used to donate money so that he could travel to other cities for his training and events in his early days,” his father Muhammad Ashraf revealed.

The 27-year-old Nadeem, the son of a retired construction worker and the third of eight siblings, was initially drawn to cricket like many Pakistanis. With no dedicated track and field facilities in Pakistan, athletes often train on cricket fields.

In March last year, Nadeem disclosed that he had been using a single, damaged javelin for the past seven years.