President Asif Ali Zardari would confer Hilal-i-Imtiaz on the national icon Arshad Nadeem for his record-setting performance in the Paris Olympics 2024, in the category of javelin throwing.
“The president will confer the civil award upon Arshad Nadeem during a special ceremony to be held in recognition of his prominent performance in sports. The President will confer the civil award under Article 259 (2) of the Constitution,” the President Secretariat’s press wing said in a press release on Saturday.
Under the constitutional provision, the president can confer Pakistani citizens with civil awards in recognition of their meritorious services in different fields of life. Upon the president’s directive, a letter had been dispatched by the Aiwan-e-Sadr to the Cabinet Division.
Nadeem was decorated with an Olympic gold medal in Paris, France on Friday, a day after he secured the coveted medal and broke the Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 metres.
It was the first time after 40 years that Pakistan’s national anthem was played at the mega event. The country’s flag was in the centre and raised the highest among the other two flags.
It is a major feat not just for Nadeem, but for the South Asian nation which won their last Olympic medal 32 years ago.
Before Nadeem’s remarkable victory, Pakistan had never won an individual gold medal at the Olympics.
All of Pakistan’s previous three gold medals came in field hockey, with their team winning gold in 1960, 1968 and 1984.
Prior to Thursday, only two Pakistan athletes had won individual medals of any colour - with a wrestling bronze in 1960 and a boxing bronze in 1988.
Since the 1992 Barcelona Games, Pakistan has not won a medal of any kind.
“Nadeem, with his brilliant performance, has made the nation proud in the field of sports,” President Zardari said, “Nadeem’s achievement at the international level brought laurels to the nation and raised the name of the country in athletics.”
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In an interview with Aaj News, Nadeem hoped that his Olympic glory would inspire the young generation to become javelin throwers.
“I am very happy that I earned a good name for Pakistan worldwide. Similarly, our youth will hopefully play this sport and lead after seeing me,” he said while appearing on Dus on Friday.
