Danish Kaneria Criticizes Pak PM for Prize Money Given to Arshad Nadeem, Recent Olympic Gold Medalist

Arshad Nadeem, once reliant on crowdfunding to purchase a javelin, is now receiving accolades from the Pakistan government after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Nadeem’s victory has ended Pakistan’s 32-year-long wait for an Olympic podium finish, marking a significant moment in the country’s sports history.

Pleased with Nadeem’s performance in the Javelin Throw final, where he set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate him. The PM shared a photo from a past event where he had presented Nadeem with a cheque for 1 million PKR (approximately 3 lakh INR).

However, former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria criticized the Prime Minister for posting the old picture, suggesting it was inappropriate given the circumstances. Kaneria remarked that the 1 million PKR was insufficient to cover Nadeem’s travel expenses, calling it an insult to both the athlete and the nation.

“Mr. Prime Minister, at least offer a graceful congratulations. Delete the picture of the million rupees you gave—it does nothing for his real needs. This amount is so small he can’t even afford his air tickets. It’s an insult to both Arshad and the nation, considering his ongoing struggles,” Kaneria tweeted.

In the same event, India’s Neeraj Chopra secured the silver medal with a throw of 89.45 meters, falling short of the gold he had hoped to win. Despite becoming only, the fourth Indian to win multiple Olympic medals, Chopra emphasized the need for further improvement in his game.