Politicians, showbiz stars unite to support Arshad Nadeem's Olympic quest

• We are super proud lets bring that medal home: Mehwish Hayat
  
• Murtaza Wahab hopeful for first Olympic medal since 1992.
• Whole nation is praying for Olympian's success, says JI emir.

As Pakistan braces for star javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem's participation in the final of the javelin throw event at the Paris Olympics' 2024 final, politicians, showbiz stars, and sports personalities have come together to back the 27-year-old to bag the gold medal for the country.

Nadeem, one of the seven athletes and the only one in the medal race as others are now out of their respective events, qualified for the final round after launching a massive throw exceeding the 84-metre minimum qualifying mark.

The final of the Javelin Throw event will be played on Thursday (tomorrow) at 11:25pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST).

With a little over 24 hours left, Pakistanis from various walks of lives of the society have rallied together to back the javelin thrower to bring back the gold.

In a video message, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the country looks toward Nadeem to win the first Olympics medal for Pakistan since 1992.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman remarked that the whole nation is praying for Nadeem's success in the Olympics.

It is to be noted that the star javelin thrower had won a silver medal at the World Championship last year meanwhile in the Commonwealth Games 2022, he won the gold medal, becoming the first Pakistani athlete since 1962 to win gold at the competition, with a massive throw that covered 90.18m distance.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Khurram Sher Zaman conveyed his best wishes to the Olympian and hoped that he would win gold for the country.

However, the Olympic frenzy isn't limited to politicians and showbiz stars have also jumped on the bandwagon to express their support for Nadeem.

"[Arshad] Nadeem is doing wonders in the Olympics. He is our only hope [to win a medal]. I wish him all the best," said actor Fahad Mustafa.

Congratulating the javelin thrower on reaching the finals, actor and model Mehwish Hayat said: "We are super proud, you've got us all buzzing with excitement."

"We are all glued to our screens and cheering you on. All of Pakistan is cheering you on. As you step on the field on August 8, remember that the entire nation is behind you [...] lets bring that medal home. Good luck Arshad," Hayat said in a video message.

Nida Dar, captain of Pakistan's women's cricket team, is also rooting for Nadeem, who is spearheading Pakistan's campaign for an Olympic gold medal. Dar felicitated him for landing in the finals, gushing about the javelin ace's talent, which she said he proved before the world in a great way.

"The entire nation is praying for you. You will succeed, Insha-Allah! We hope that you will bring gold to Pakistan," she added.

Famous singer and social activist Shehzad Roy said: "Nadeem has made a big achievement by securing a berth in the Olympics' final round. I want to thank you for what you do for the happiness of Pakistanis."

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr Farooq Sattar also expressed pleasure over the athlete's feat, saying: "Arshad Nadeem, well done, very well. You have brought Pakistan into the spotlight, and you will go even further tomorrow."

Praying for his success in the final round, Sattar said that the entire nation was standing behind Nadeem.

Joining the chorus of well-wishers, Pakistani tennis player Meheq Khokhar exuded confidence that Nadeem would bring home the gold and wished him the best of luck for the final.

Fatima Ansari, a national women's football player, also sent best wishes to Nadeem and prayed for his success at the Olympics.

Babar Azam, captain of Pakistan’s men's cricket team, also showered praise on the javelin star. In a video message, Babar expressed hope that Nadeem would break the country's medal drought at the Olympics.

"I wish him good luck. I request everyone to support and pray he wins the final. Chak De Phatte Arshad Nadeem," he said.

Others who also recorded their video messages for Nadeem include singer Faakhir Mehmood, veteran actor Sajid Hasan along with various sports personalities with the likes of Shah Hussain Shah, Sadaf Siddiqui, footballer Nadia Khan, hockey players and ex-Olympians Imran Butt and Shakeel Abbasi.