We badly need facilities for our women athletes: Arshad Nadeem

KARACHI: Arshad Nadeem, the javelin throw gold medallist in the recently-concluded Paris Games, said Pakistani women athletes should be given modern facilities so that they can perform at the highest level.

Since returning home with Pakistan’s first gold in the Olympics since 1984, Nadeem has been showered with cash prizes worth around 280 million, cars and other gifts.

In the latest instance, the Governor Punjab on Saturday gave him a cash prize of two million rupees and a car.

But beyond such personal gifts, Nadeem wanted the government to fulfil his request for a modernised track and field stadium and a university for women in his hometown – Mian Channu.

“We badly need facilities for our women and even men to acquire higher education in our area and nowadays young athletes need to be given the best facilities,” Nadeem said on the ARY news channel.

Nadeem, who appeared on the show with his wife Rashida, was also asked about the buffalo gifted to him by his father-in-law for winning the Olympic gold medal.

The 27-year-old replied in half-jest. “I was a bit surprised with the announcement and I wondered since my father-in-law is a very rich person and has a lot of land…if only he had given me 4-5 acres of farm land instead of the buffalo,” he said with a smile.

Rashida said she knew about Nadeem’s injury problems before the Olympics but kept it away from other family members.

“When he went for the Games, I couldn’t sleep for three days and I just kept on praying that he would remain fit and return with a gold medal,” she said.

Nadeem’s long-time coach Salman Butt said the ace javelin thrower will return to training in a month’s time as he faces the hard task of living up to people’s expectations.

“Arshad knows that he has to work harder to maintain his position as there is great competition in the javelin throw in the international field,” he said.