Arshad Nadeem received government backing throughout career

A day after Arshad Nadeem won Pakistan’s first individual gold medal at the Paris Olympics, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) said the government has provided “unwavering financial and technical support” throughout his career. Arshad won gold at the Paris Olympics with a 92.97m throw, a new Olympic and Asia record. The government was appropriately criticised for not supporting the athlete, who won his 9th international medal for Pakistan since 2016.

“The government has stood firmly behind Arshad Nadeem throughout his career, providing unwavering financial and technical support,” an IPC and PSB media WhatsApp group statement states. With the Pakistan Sports Board and Athletics Federation in charge, his preparation at home and abroad has been properly planned. Mr. Arshad has received Rs22 million in cash rewards in three years. The statement stated that the Athletics Federation received Rs69 million in 2023-24 to support athletes nationwide.

PSB told Geo News that Arshad won 2.2m for winning Pakistani medals. In April, he received Rs10 million for “medical treatment”. They also get Rs5 million each for winning gold and silver medals in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2023 World Athletics Championship, and one million apiece for earning four medals. The PSB spokesman said the board is still completing and summing Arshad’s South African training. Arshad’s primary rival Neeraj Chopra had a 5.71 crore INR (around 19 crores in Pakistani currency) budget.