2023 Asian Games medallist accuses Pakistan government of not paying any money of the promised Rs 50 lakh

Lahore: Asian Games 2023 silver medallist in javelin competition Yasir Sultan on Wednesday alleged that he has not received any money out of Rs 50 lakh promised last year by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for winning laurels for the country.

Sultan’s comments came as a reaction to the cash-strapped Pakistan government’s announcement of about Rs 30 crore total cash awards for the Olympic 2024 champion Arshad Nadeem, who won the Gold Medal in the javelin throw on August 7 in Paris, making it the country’s first Olympic gold in hockey since 1984 Olympics at Los Angeles.

Nadeem, 27, won the gold in the men’s javelin throw competition with a mammoth 92.97 m throw on August 7 in Paris which also broke the Olympic record of 90.57 m set in Beijing in 2008.

Speaking about Nadeem’s gold medal, which is also Pakistan’s first Olympic medal of any kind since the hockey team won bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games, Sultan lambasted the government for being quick to announce cash award but reluctant to pay.

“Last year, I was invited by PM Sharif to the Prime Minister House where he announced giving me a Rs 5 million cash award for winning the silver medal in Asian Games 2023.

“The premier also promised to support me in getting training abroad. But a year passed by, I was neither given the promised cash award nor any training arranged for me abroad,” Sultan told reporters here.

He said he and his father visited several times the offices of Pakistan Sports Board and even the PM House requesting the release of the promised money “but to no avail.” Sultan said, “Now Arshad Nadeem has won the gold medal for Pakistan in the Olympics and the government announced a huge sum of money for him. Who knows how much he finally gets from the promised money?” Sultan also said Prime Minister Sharif’s promise to build a road to his village too wasn't fulfilled.

Following Nadeem’s Olympic victory, the Pakistan government announced Rs 15 crore while the Punjab and Sindh governments promised to pay Rs 10 crore and Rs 5 crore respectively even as the Punjab government said it would give him a car.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also said a sports city named after the athlete would be built in his hometown of Khanewal in the Punjab province.

Two sports facilities, one in Karachi and another in Sukkur cities of Sindh will also be named after Arshad Nadeem while the Sukkur city mayor announced a 'gold crown' for him.

Pakistan also declared last week that it will honour Nadeem with Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the second highest award of the country, for his stupendous feat and also directed for a commemorative stamp titled ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ (commitment to stability) to be issued on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day.