Arshad Nadeem has received a hero’s welcome in his hometown, Mian Channu. The entire village crowded Arshad’s house to celebrate the national treasure who created history on August 9 by throwing a record throw of 92.97 meters and bringing Pakistan their first-ever medal since the 1992 Games in Barcelona. But Arshad didn’t care about any of this. The gold medalist ignored the crowd and went straight to his mother.
Mother’s love over rewards
Both were emotional and shared a minute-long embrace before they finally decided to enter their house. Arshad has received plaudits and rewards left and right, from getting a Corolla Cross Hybrid Electric from his sponsor to receiving a Rs 4.5 crore reward and the second-highest civilian award, the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, from Pakistan’s government, but all he cared about was celebrating his momentous occasion with his mother.
Moments after Arshad Nadeem had won the gold, the media went to his house. His mother couldn’t describe her emotions and was on the moon after seeing her son create history. She was also asked about her thoughts on her son’s biggest rival, Neeraj Chopra.
Her answer revealed why the Pakistani javelin star has such a great relationship with Neeraj despite losing to him in their last nine meetings. “He’s (Neeraj Chopra), my son’s friend and brother. Winning and losing is part of the game. He’s like my son, and I hope God gives him much success and many medals after this,” Arshad’s mother said.
