Pakistan may be showering its javelin throw Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem with cash awards and other valuable prizes, but his father-in-law, in keeping with his rural upbringing and tradition, has decided to gift him a buffalo. Mohammad Nawaz told local media in Nadeem’s village on Sunday that gifting a buffalo is considered ‘very valuable’ and ‘respectful’ in his village.
Nadeem won the gold medal in the javelin throw event in Paris with an Olympic record throw of 92.97 metres, with India’s Neeraj Chopra (89.45) finishing second. Nawaz said, “Nadeem is very proud of his roots and despite his success, his home is still his village and he still lives with his parents and brothers.” His father-in-law said that his four He has sons and three daughters and his youngest daughter Ayesha is married to Nadeem.
Nawaz said, “When we decided to marry our daughter to Nadeem six years ago, he used to do small jobs. But he was very passionate about his sport and used to practice javelin throwing continuously at home and in the fields.” Pakistan’s first individual Olympic gold medalist Nadeem received a warm welcome from fans on his return home and was very happy when he met his family. Looked emotional.
When Nadeem reached here, he was welcomed with ‘Water Canon Salute’. It was a national hero’s welcome as thousands of fans were desperate to catch a glimpse of Nadeem and chanted his name amid the jostling. On reaching here, Nadeem hugged his mother, father and elder brother. His family garlanded him during an emotional reunion inside the lounge of Allama Iqbal International Airport.
