Pakistani Athlete Wins Olympic Gold After 32-Year Drought

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem shattered a world record to win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. Nadeem is now inspiring a new generation of Pakistani sportsmen and women to excel in athletics. Thousands of fans, including government ministers, came to Lahore Airport to greet Arshad Nadeem when he returned to the country. 

Aeshad Nadeem's gold medal in the Paris Olympics came 32 years after Pakistan won a bronze medal in field hockey at Barcelona, Spain. It's also the first Olympic gold medal won by Pakistanis in 40 years. Pakistan has won a total of 11 medals since it started participating in the Olympic Games in 1948. India has won 41 medals since it began its participation in the Olympics in 1900. Five of India's 41 medals were won prior to 1948. This year, Pakistan has won just one medal, a gold in Javelin throw, while India has won 6 medals, including a silver in Javelin throw and 5 bronzes in other sports. 

Gold Medal Winner Arshad Nadeem at Paris Olympics. Source: Olympics...

Of the 11 olympics medals won by Pakistan since 1948, only three, including that of Paris 2024 champion Arshad Nadeem are individual medals. Two other individual medals are bronze in men's boxing and wrestling.  The rest are team medals awarded to the Pakistan field hockey teams. 

2024 Paris Olympics Table. Source: Google

South Asian nations, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, rank low on this year's medals tables. Pakistan ranks 62 and India 69. The top of the table is dominated by rich nations from East Asia, North America and Western Europe. Over 50 countries and territories have never won an Olympic medal, either in the Summer or Winter Games, according to a report in Newsweek. 

Olympic Medals Winners Map. Source: Newsweek

Bangladesh is among the nations that have never won any olympic medals. Others include Angola, Bhutan, Bolivia, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Honduras, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. 

Total Olympic Medals Won By Most Populous Countries 1896-2024

Here's how The Economist magazine summarized the results of the 2024 Paris Olympics:

 "This year around 45% of participating countries won at least one medal. In 1992, the equivalent figure was 38%. Albania, Cape Verde, Dominica and St Lucia won their first-ever medals in Paris; Botswana and Guatemala secured their first golds. The improvement reflects the greater number of medals on offer, as more events are added, as well as sport’s globalisation, which has allowed techniques and knowledge to spread further and faster. Ultimately, however, serious Olympic success is determined by the wealth and population of a country. Rich, big countries have more resources to invest and deeper pools of talent. The share of countries with more than 20 medals has remained largely unchanged since 1992. That makes a minnow’s success all the more special". 

Share of Olympic Medals Won By Countries. Source: The Economist

Olympics are not just a huge international sporting spectacle; these games are highly lucrative for the organizers who rake in billions of dollars in sponsorships and media rights. NBC alone paid $7.75 billion for broadcasting rights for the United States. 

Rich industrialized nations have well-funded athletics development programs which can be credited with their Olympic success. The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) is an example of one such program. It earned $1.28 billion in revenue in 2022-2023, with about $1 billion coming from March Madness alone. 

This summer in Paris 2024, 75% of Team USA's Olympic athletes will have a collegiate background as part of their journey to Team USA, according to a report. This includes NCAA programs, junior colleges, NAIA and clubs. Of those, 65% (385 of 592) have competed in NCAA collegiate sports across all three divisions. In total, 151 NCAA schools from 45 conferences will have one or more Team USA Olympic athletes competing in Paris. 

The medals won by athletes from poor nations like India and Pakistan are primarily due to the individual's own initiative, hard work and determination. Arshad Nadeem, for example, had so little help from the Pakistani government or private sector that he had trouble finding the money to buy a javelin.  He ended up doing crowd-funding to buy it for the Paris Olympics 2024. Even after winning a Commonwealth Games gold and World Championship silver in 2022 and 2023, Arshad had to plead for a new javelin before the Paris Olympics as his old one had worn out after years of use, according to a news report. 

It is heartening to see that Arshad Nadeem is now being showered with effusive praise and money from both the government and private sector to continue his passion. Hopefully, he will use his celebrity and money to help fund an athletics academy for aspiring young men and women in Pakistan.  

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[Riaz Haq]

Karachi mayor announces opening of a sports academy as well in Karachi in the name of javelin thrower

https://www.geo.tv/latest/558334-cash-prizes-and-more-for-arshad-na...
Once a cash-strapped athlete, Arshad Nadeem has not only earned widespread praise but also a fortune. Just hours after he won the gold medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics, breaking the men's javelin Olympic record, prominent personalities announced that they would reward him generously.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced Rs100 million for Nadeem, saying that by winning the gold medal, Nadeem has given the nation a present on the occasion of the Independence Day.

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab annoucned a prize money of Rs50 million for Nadeem, for making the nation proud by winning the gold medal in the javelin throw competition in the Paris Olympics.

The Karachi mayor announced the opening of a sports academy in Karachi in the name of the Pakistani javelin thrower as well. He said, "Arshad Nadeem is a national hero and we are proud of our heroes."



The 40-year drought of a gold medal in Olympics for Pakistan has ended with the javelin thrower’s achievement, despite his long been struggling to get the required facilities, equipment and training demanded by the sport. He broke the Olympic record by throwing javelin 92.97 meters away.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution recommending the government to award the highest civil award to the gold medalist.

Leader of Opposition in NA Omar Ayub said he should be given a grand welcome upon his return to home.

Congratulating Nadeem for winning the gold medal, the Senate on Friday announced to arrange a dinner "in the honour of his making the nation proud". Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan Nasar said the great son of the soil would also be awarded with prizes.

On the other hand, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori has announced to give Rs2 million to him.

Moreover, singer Ali Zafar announced Rs1 million for the athlete for winning gold for Pakistan.

He urged the government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to welcome him like a hero and establish a sports academy in his name. “If our athletes and sportsmen start getting the support they deserve we can win 10 golds a year,” he said.

Sindh Government Spokesperson and Sukkur Mayor Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh announced that Nadeem will be awarded a gold crown, on the desire expressed by the people of Sukkur.

Additionally, the under-construction new sports stadium in Sukkur will be named after Nadeem to honour his remarkable achievement, he added.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan rewards javelin champion Nadeem with $897,000 for record-breaking throw at Paris Olympics | AP News


https://apnews.com/article/athletics-olympics-arshad-nadeem-pakista...

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Olympic javelin gold medalist Arshad Nadeem received a total of 250 million rupees ($897,000) on Tuesday as Pakistan continued to celebrate his record-breaking throw at the Paris Games.

Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced 150 million rupees ($538,000) for Nadeem at a special ceremony to honor the star athlete in Islamabad. Sharif’s announcement came hours after Punjab’s chief minister Mariam Nawaz visited Nadeem’s house in a village in the Mian Channu district and presented him with a check for 100 million rupees ($359,000).

Nawaz also handed him the keys to a new car which has a special registration number of “PAK 92.97” to commemorate Nadeem’s throw of 92.97 meters at Paris, which was an Olympic record. Nadeem’s coach Salman Iqbal Butt was also given 5 million rupees ($18,000).

“You have doubled the delight of 250 million Pakistanis because we’ll also celebrate our Independence Day tomorrow,” Sharif said while announcing the money for Nadeem, whose father is a daily wage laborer. “Today every Pakistani is happy and the morale of the whole country is sky high

“The feeling is very good,” Nadeem said Tuesday. “I hope to stay fit and break the world record one day.”

Later Tuesday, Nadeem and his family were flown to Islamabad on a special flight from Multan to attend a reception hosted by Sharif, who paid tribute to the athlete during a cabinet meeting.

“Nadeem has elevated the name of Pakistan worldwide because of his day and night hard work, parents’ prayers, and coach’s training,” Sharif said.

Pakistan is predominantly known for cricket in the sporting world with the country winning the 1992 World Cup.

“Seeing him on the podium waving the flag and ringing the Olympic bell was incredible,” Pakistan test captain Shan Masood said in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s podcast on Tuesday as he prepares for the test series against Bangladesh, starting Aug. 21 in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie said Nadeem will be invited to the dressing room of the Pakistan cricket team during the first test match.

“Having him visit and share his gold medal with the team would be a fantastic boost, especially with the Olympic spirit still in the air,” Gillespie said. “It was a wonderful moment, and we extend an open invitation for him.”

Nadeem also has a special postage stamp in his honor depicting his record throw.

[Riaz Haq]

PKR 150 Million Cash, Endowment Fund Of 1 Billion: Pakistan PM Honours Arshad Nadeem | Olympics News

https://sports.ndtv.com/olympics-2024/pkr-150-million-endowment-fun...

Rewards continue to rain for Pakistan athlete Arshad Nadeem who made history in the Paris Olympic Games 2024, clinching the first-ever gold medal for his country in individual sports. Since Arshad has returned to Pakistan, rewards in both cash and kind have been pouring in. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a cash prize of PKR 150 million (approx. INR 4.5 crore) and a civil award for Pakistani javelin hero Arshad.

Nadeem sent the entire Pakistan into a state of jubilation last week when he broke the Olympic record of 90.57 set by Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway in 2008, with his throw in the men's javelin final. Arshad, by hitting 92.97m, beat Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo champion, for the top podium spot despite the Indian hitting his season-best 89.45 for silver.

At a dinner ceremony in Islamabad, organised in the honour of Nadeem, Pakistan PM Sharif paid tribute to the athlete who made the country proud in Paris. He also promised a whopping sum of PKR 100 million for Arshad's coach Salman Iqbal Butt.

"Success of Arshad Nadeem provides ample proof that meager resources, difficulties and challenges are not a hurdle in the way of success," Sharif said.

The Pakistan PM also announced Hilal Imtiaz, the second-highest civilian award, for Nadeem. Not just that, the announcement of the establishment of Arshad Nadeem High-Performance Academy at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad, was also made. The Pakistan PM also announced the establishment of a sports endowment fund of PKR 1 billion.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won Olympic gold, $1 million in rewards and a buffalo : Goats and Soda : NPR

https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/08/21/g-s1-17578/o...

Arshad Nadeem made history at the Paris Olympics.

A strapping 6 feet 4 inches tall, he set a new Olympic record for the longest javelin throw – 92.97 meters or 305.02 feet.

The 27-year-old became the first Pakistani to secure an individual gold medal.

And oh, one more historic thing: He is undoubtedly the first Olympic champion to be given a buffalo as a reward for his prowess.

Nadeem grew up in a rural community in the Punjab province of Pakistan, the third oldest of eight children. He was a gifted athlete who gravitated to cricket. Then his dad, who worked as a mason, suggested he try a javelin.

Nadeem says he did not get support from the Pakistani government in his training. But his gold medal triggered a gold rush: $50,000 from the Olympic Association, around half a million dollars from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and $350,000 from Punjab’s Chief Minister Mariam Nawaz. He also got a couple of cars, including a Honda Civic whose license plate bears the number 92.97 as a tribute to his javelin distance.

Then there’s the lifetime supply of free fuel, an apartment, even a gold crown (!).

And from his father-in-law: a buffalo.

Jokes were made – including by Nadeem. On a morning TV show, an anchor asked about the buffalo. Arshad said he had been hoping for a large tract of land since his father-in-law is wealthy. Then he added, “Okay, a buffalo will suffice, too.”

Actually that’s an understatement. The buffalo holds deep cultural significance in Nadeem’s home province of Punjab. “In rural communities, a buffalo is considered one of the most honorable and valuable gifts, much like camels in desert regions like Saudi Arabia,” says Rashad Bukhari, a writer and cultural commentator born and raised in Punjab.

The gift that keeps on giving ... milk
Buffalo are valued for their milk –- called the “black gold’ of Pakistan. With a higher fat and protein content than cow’s milk, buffalo milk makes up 72% of the nation’s milk supply. Their milk is also well-suited to turn into ghee, a clarified butter that is a staple of the Pakistani diet,

So for farmers in the agricultural province of Punjab, a female buffalo is … um … a cash cow.

And it’s a gift that keeps on giving … milk. The average lifespan of a buffalo is 20 years. A female usually starts producing milk after birthing a first calf at 3 years old. The animal will continue giving milk for the rest of its life, according to Dr. Burhan-e- Azam, a veterinarian who works for Punjab’s livestock dept as a farm manager and an animal nutritionist at a buffalo research institute. He notes that most buffalo will yield milk if the udders are massaged – even if the calf is not around.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won Olympic gold, $1 million in rewards and a buffalo : Goats and Soda : NPR

https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/08/21/g-s1-17578/o...

If you have a buffalo and need some money, you’re in luck. “You can sell it whenever you want and get good money right away,” says Azam. The price of a buffalo typically ranges from $1,500 to $3,600.

That’s why Pakistanis call a buffalo “a poor man’s bank.”

“Buffalo is a blessing for our region,” he adds. “It does not even require too much care like other high maintenance animals.” After letting the animal graze during the day, he says, “mostly people would tie their buffalo with a tree” in their compound at night. He adds that buffalo are well-suited for both hot and cold climates.”

The importance of a buffalo for Punjab can be gauged from the fact that in ancient times there was a profession called khoji, an Urdu word that can mean “detective.” A khoji could study the footprints left by a buffalo thief and follow trails for days, even weeks, until the buffalo rustler was discovered. (The advent of security cameras and modern roads have brought an end to the profession.)

Buffalo are also a part of the traditional dowry in Punjab. And when a family buffalo dies, Bukhari says that to this day, neighbors visit to offer condolences.

And you may wonder – is it a little odd to have just one buffalo? That’s often the case for families in Punjab, says Azam. Many households have a sole buffalo — and benefit from free door-to-door vaccination services and medical care provided by the government.

For javelin king Nadeem, the buffalo is not just symbolic. Buffalo milk and homemade ghee were a staple in his diet while training. His father-in-law’s gift ensures that the Olympic medalist will have fresh milk as he trains for his next competition.

[Riaz Haq]

Why is India so bad at sport?

It underwhelms in the Olympics relative to its population and economic heft

https://www.ft.com/content/4d8e0119-fa6c-4bbb-aa15-56e85dd30f2d

The summer of sport isn’t over yet. There are still a few days left of the Paris 2024 Paralympics. India, in particular, is hoping for a better ranking than the 71st place it garnered at the Olympics — below tiny Dominica and North Korea. It looks promising. Its medal tally is already higher. Para shooter Avani Lekhara’s second successive gold medal has been the country’s highlight so far. But whether it is the Paralympics or Olympics, India underwhelms on the global sports stage, relative to its demographic heft. It has won just 41 medals at the Olympics since 1900. On the balance of probability alone — accounting for 1 in 6 people in the world — the nation’s recent performance is embarrassing. It amassed just six medals at the Olympics this year.

Of course, athletic prowess depends on far more than people power. For instance, America sent over five times the number of athletes India did to this year’s Olympics, despite having just a quarter of its population. Indeed, Rory Green, chief China economist at TS Lombard, finds that GDP explained about 90 per cent of the variation in medal counts at the Paris games. But, India is also the world’s fifth-largest economy. If it has the people and the money, why is it so bad at sport?

Success at the Olympics tends to scale with GDP partly because it acts as a proxy for sport expenditure. “Capital-intensive sports — including gymnastics, sailing, swimming, rowing and diving — accounted for 28 per cent of available medals this year,” notes Green. America, China and Britain excel in many of these. “Economic development also means more leisure time and the creation of a sporting culture.”

India’s economic emergence has, however, not translated into stronger investment in sport, or more recreation. Expenditure on physical recreation has not been a priority for successive governments. As a result, wannabe athletes have faced significant hurdles in the form of poor funding and a lack of access to facilities, coaching and equipment.

Poverty remains a challenge. India’s GDP per capita by purchasing power parity is just over $10,000, according to the World Bank, placing it below the likes of Iraq and Eswatini. Parents and teachers, understandably, encourage children to pursue better paid, high-status professions as doctors and engineers.

“Traditionally, jobs that involve performing for others, such as domestic work, dance, and sports were often associated with lower status,” says Dr Gurnam Singh, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Warwick.

There is a self-reinforcing dynamic here, too. A lack of national sporting role models (beyond cricket and chess) means the risk-reward ratio for making a living as an athlete continues to look unfavourable.