ISLAMABAD: Arshad Nadeem on Thursday received the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the second-highest civilian award of Pakistan, for making history at the Paris Olympics by setting a new record for the longest javelin throw and winning a gold medal for his country.

Nadeem’s triumph is seen by Pakistanis, struggling with an economic crisis and rising militancy, as all the more impressive since he was born and raised in a mud brick house in an impoverished corner of rural Punjab and as a young man trained in wheat fields with homemade javelins.

Nadeem, who compared his Olympic clash with India’a Neeraj Chopra to the two nations’ legendary rivalry in cricket, has previously said it is challenging being a non-cricket athlete in Pakistan, where resources and facilities for his sport are scarce.

But now his record-breaking 92.97 meter javelin throw in Paris has earned Pakistan its first Olympic medal since the 1992 Barcelona Games and its first gold medal since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

“President Asif Ali Zardari has conferred Hilal-i-Imtiaz upon Olympic Gold Medalist Arshad Nadeem in recognition of his outstanding achievement in Paris Olympics-2024,” Radio Pakistan reported. “The award was given at a special investiture ceremony in Islamabad today [Thursday].”

Nadeem, 27, married with two children, comes from a poor family of eight children in the central Pakistani region of Khanewal, where he first began to dream of Olympic greatness.

His district barely had reliable water and electricity supplies, let alone proper sports facilities for him to train.

“I am thankful to God almighty. I thank my parents and Pakistani nation,” Nadeem said as he returned home from Paris to a water canon salute and chants from thousands of supporters. “There is lot of hard work by me and my coach Salman Butt behind this.”