Pakistan’s only medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics was a gold one.

And it was all thanks to Arshad Nadeem.

With a record-breaking javelin throw of 92.97m, Nadeem beat the defending champion, Neeraj Chopra of India, in the men’s final on Aug. 8.

This victory also marked Pakistan’s first Olympic medal in 32 years, coming just in time for the nation’s 77th independence day on Aug. 14.

It appeared the win didn't come easy for the 27-year-old, who hails from a rural part of the country where resources for him to train are scarce.

His story, highlighting how his village rallied to support him financially, has captivated the internet.

Following his historic win, Nadeem received a hero’s welcome back home, including cash rewards of over S$2.4 million.

Snippets of heroics can be viewed in the first few seconds of this news segment:

Humble beginnings

Nadeem was born and raised in a modest mud-brick house in Mian Channu, a village in rural Pakistan, as reported by Reuters.

Due to limited resources, he trained with handmade javelins and practised in local wheat fields.

His oldest brother, Shahid Nadeem, revealed that they used long eucalyptus branches with iron tips as makeshift javelins.

"We developed our own weight training apparatus using iron rods, oil canisters, and concrete," Shahid told Reuters.

People from his village have also been chipping in money so Nadeem could travel out to train and compete in other events, Times of India reported.

Even up until a few months before the Olympics, Nadeem was still using substandard javelins.

However, a last-minute appeal to the Pakistani government and other organisations secured him three new international-standard javelins from South Africa.

Hero’s welcome

When Nadeem returned home on Aug. 11, the reception was overwhelming.

According to the Hindustan Times, he was met with a water cannon salute at Lahore airport, where thousands of supporters chanted, "Long Live Arshad Nadeem! Long Live Pakistan!"

He then embarked on a victory bus tour to celebrate with his fans.

Huge Huge Huge respect for #Arshad_Nadeem ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👌👌👌#ArshadNadeem #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/5pg7iuuGTL

— Qadir Khawaja (@iamqadirkhawaja) August 11, 2024

Nadeem's achievements will be recognised with significant rewards.

President Asif Ali Zardari is set to honour him with Pakistan’s second-highest civilian award, the Hilal-i-Imtiaz.

Additionally, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced a cash prize of 100 million rupees (S$1,575,642), reported Dawn.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has promised 50 million rupees (S$787,828), Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has pledged 2 million rupees (S$31,509), and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori has offered 1 million rupees (S$15,756).

In a gesture of appreciation, a Pakistani businessman has announced a gift of a Suzuki Alto to Nadeem.

However, some online commenters felt this was insufficient and believed he deserved "better", like an Audi or BMW.

Top photos from worldathletics/Instagram and ArshadOlympian1/X