The return of the national hero who won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics has been met with exceptional acclaim from all political parties, social leaders, and public circles across the country, except for the religious parties and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This reception surpasses even that received by the Pakistani cricket team upon their return after winning the World Cup in 1992.
Only religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel invited Arshad Nadeem to his home for dinner and personally awarded him five hundred thousand rupees, while other religious figures have not issued any statements welcoming the national hero. In this time of despair, Arshad Nadeem’s achievement of winning the gold medal should have prompted all political and social groups to use his success as an example to inspire the youth.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced 150 million rupees as a reward for Arshad Nadeem, and Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has also given him a check for 100 million rupees and a car. The Sindh government has also made encouraging announcements for the national hero. In response, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur stated that he would personally reward Arshad Nadeem from his own pocket. While KP government has funds to pay hundreds of workers for their social media wing, there seems to be no fund for rewarding a national hero like Arshad Nadeem. Thus, the KP government has not made any announcement in this regard.
Arshad Nadeem, who has brought Pakistan’s name to prominence after forty years, is the only national hero who had no team and won the gold medal purely based on his personal talent and performance, with minimal government involvement. It can only be said that Shahbaz Sharif, as Punjab Chief Minister, was the first to organize sports competitions in Punjab, which provided Arshad Nadeem the opportunity to showcase his talents. This led to the official recognition and encouragement of his achievements, which was not tied to a major city, but Arshad Nadeem managed to establish himself on the global stage. In contrast, the successful captain of the 1992 cricket team only gave Arshad Nadeem a token invitation for fundraising purposes.
Arshad Nadeem earned the title of national hero through personal performance, whereas Pakistan’s World Cup win in 1992 was a result of the collective effort of the entire cricket team, with renowned players contributing to the success, but all the credit was attributed to the captain.
Since 1992, governments led by Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto, and General Pervez Musharraf have come to power, and in 2018, Imran Khan, a renowned cricket player, was brought into power. However, during his tenure, he did nothing to promote sports or encourage players compared to previous governments. Instead, he focused on the decline of cricket, leading to the unemployment of cricketers and blocking the path for new talent.
The cricketer-turned-prime minister did not wish to see new talent emerging or to be surpassed by a team like the 1992 World Cup-winning team. He wanted to remain the sole captain of a World Cup-winning team, so he appointed individuals to the cricket board whose policies led to the decline of cricket in Pakistan. For 32 years, Pakistani cricket failed on the global stage, fulfilling the former captain’s desire to remain a hero, until Arshad Nadeem emerged as a national hero after 32 years, receiving unparalleled recognition across the country, a feat unmatched in the past.
PTI has given secondary importance to Arshad Nadeem’s success in winning the gold medal in javelin at the international level, as his becoming a national hero after 32 years affects the status of the 1992 cricket hero and PTI founder chairman. While cricket players have been heroes for their global successes, Arshad Nadeem achieved Pakistan’s first gold medal in javelin through his personal efforts, a success that PTI finds hard to digest because the country has a new national hero.
The 1992 cricket hero raised funds to build the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, which, despite receiving billions in funds, is not accessible to the average person. The government following the World Cup was highly unpopular, and the incompetent administration that came after worsened the situation, affecting the country’s economy.
PTI is intimidated by the javelin world hero, so PTI leaders, who were busy making money during their tenure, have not had the decency to reward Arshad Nadeem with personal awards and encouragement, fearing that they might anger their founding chairman.
Arshad Nadeem has brought glory to Pakistan by winning the Olympics and demonstrated that with hard work and dedication, success is achievable. Many talented athletes like Arshad Nadeem have not progressed due to lack of government support. If the government supports Pakistani athletes, Pakistan could emerge as a leading name in sports globally. The government should organize more sports competitions in both small and large cities and establish sports parks to bring forward more athletes. There is immense talent among the youth in small towns and villages. With a little attention, these young individuals could bring fame to the country.