Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for posting an old photo of giving PKR 10 lakh to Paris Olympics gold medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem. Kaneria replied to Pakistan PM Sharif’s post and said that with PKR he wouldn’t have been able to even the afford air tickets.
“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,” Kaneria wrote in his post on X.
Nadeem beat India's Neeraj Chopra with 92.97 metre throw and became Pakistan’s first athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics in an individual event. He ended Pakistan’s drought of medal that lasted over three decades. In doing so, he also broke the Olympic record for the longest throw of 90.57 metre held by Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen.
The last medal was won by India men's hockey team in Barcelona Olympics 1992. They won a bronze medal by defeating the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz, announced a cash prize of PKR 10 crore for the 27-year-old. Maryam also vowed to name a sports city in Nadeem's hometown after his name.
Nadeem reveals when he started taking the sport seriously
Nadeem revealed the cricket angle to his run-up and throw as he used to be a fast bowler.
"I was a cricketer, I played table tennis, and I also participated in athletics events. But my coach told me I have got a very good physique for the javelin throw and I concentrated on javelin only from 2016," he said.
"People think my technique is more like a fast bowler than a javelin thrower, but I am happy with this action and the run-up I use. That is because of my early strength as a cricket bowler," he quipped.
Nadeem also hailed his friend beyond the border Neeraj and the rivalry between the two.
"The rivalry is there when it comes to cricket matches and other sports, definitely. But at the same time, it is a good thing for youngsters in both countries who are pursuing a sport to follow us and follow their sports icons and bring laurels to their countries," he told the reporters after creating history.
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