Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem received an enthusiastic reception upon his return to his hometown, Mian Channu, on Sunday, August 11.
The celebration followed his historic performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he set a world record with a 92.97-meter javelin throw, securing Pakistan's first gold medal in 4 decades.
Video provided by Dawn News shows thousands gathered to honor Nadeem, showering him with flower petals and celebrating with drum beats and chants of 'Long Live Arshad Nadeem, Long Live Pakistan.'
His arrival was marked by an outpouring of national pride, with large Pakistani flags visible among the crowd.
Earlier, Nadeem had been greeted warmly at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport by federal and provincial officials, including Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Punjab Sports Minister Faisal Ayub Khokhar.
His family, who traveled from their village to Lahore with special protocol, joined in the welcome.
After landing in Lahore from Istanbul, Nadeem and his coach Salman Butt were met by a crowd of supporters at the airport. The gold medalist later toured Lahore on a double-decker bus, before continuing to Mian Channu.
In a statement to the media, Nadeem expressed his gratitude to the Pakistani nation, his family, and the government for their support. He credited his success to the prayers of his parents and the backing of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
