(Source X)
Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has criticized Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his symbolic gesture of presenting a cheque to Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem. Nadeem achieved a historic milestone by winning Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medal in 32 years with a record-setting javelin throw of 92.97 meters during the men’s final at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Nadeem’s victory not only marked Pakistan’s first individual gold medal at the Olympics but also came as a significant achievement, given that the country had previously won only three Olympic golds, all in field hockey, in 1960, 1968, and 1984. This triumph stands as a major accomplishment for both the athlete and the nation.
Danish Kaneria condemns the Pakistani PM’s meager prize for Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem.
Despite his historic Olympic victory, Nadeem received only 10 million PKR (about 3 lakh INR) from the Prime Minister. In addition, the Prime Minister shared a photo with Nadeem, showcasing both the cheque and the Olympic gold medalist, who is Pakistan’s first Olympic men’s javelin champion.
In his congratulatory post, Mr. Sharif wrote, “Bravo Arshad 👏🏻! History made! Pakistan’s 🇵🇰 first Olympic men’s javelin champion, ArsNadeem, @ArshadOlympian1,ian1 brings home a historic #gold medal at #Paris2024! You’ve made the whole natproud,roud young man.”
In response to the recognition offered by the Pakistani Prime Minister to Nadeem, Kaneria has criticized the prize amount as inadequate and disrespectful given the magnitude of Nadeem’s achievement. The former cricketer highlighted that the prize money fell well short when compared to the substantial rewards given to Olympic champions by other nations.
Kaneria calls for greater recognition for Olympic gold medalist Nadeem.
Nadeem is anticipated to receive about 42 lakh INR as prize money for his gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Kaneria also took a jab at PM Sharif, pointing out that the cost of a round-trip flight from Lahore to Paris is approximately 243,069 PKR (around 74,000 INR), highlighting the disparity between the prize and the expenses involved.
He has called on the Prime Minister to grant a more fitting reward to Nadeem for his historic Olympic achievement. Kaneria expressed his sentiments on X: “Mr. Prime Minister, at least offer a graceful congratulations. Delete the picture of the million rupees you gave—it does nothing for his real needs. This amount is so small he can’t even afford air tickets. It’s an insult to both Arshad and the nation, considering his ongoing struggles.”
My training and hard work have paid off: Nadeem
Significantly, after winning the gold, Nadeem commented on his rivalry with Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, saying: “My training and hard work have paid off. Like cricket, the javelin rivalry was present! People back home in Pakistan and India were eager to see us compete together. Rivalry is there when it comes to cricket matches, other sports, the two countries have a rivalry, but it’s a good thing for the young people in both countries to watch our sport and follow us. It’s a positive thing for both countries.”
