Pakistani Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem has sparked controversy by exposing that promised rewards for his gold medal win at the Paris Olympics have not been fulfilled, raising questions about the nation's commitment to its athletes. A year after his historic victory, Nadeem revealed that while he received the announced cash prizes, the promised land plots never materialized.

Nadeem's gold medal at the Paris Olympics was a momentous occasion for Pakistan, as he secured the country's first-ever Olympic gold in track and field. He achieved this feat by throwing an Olympic record of 92.97 meters, surpassing the previous record set in 2008. In doing so, he beat India's Neeraj Chopra, who won the silver medal. Following his win, the Pakistani government, state authorities, and various organizations pledged rewards, including cash, land plots, and honors.

However, as Nadeem prepares to compete against Neeraj Chopra again at the Silesia Diamond League on August 16, he has revealed that the promised land plots were never received. "Out of all the prize announcements made to me, all the plot announcements were fake, which I did not receive," Nadeem told Geo TV. Despite this, he confirmed that he did receive all the announced cash prizes.

Despite the unfulfilled promises, Nadeem remains focused on his training and upcoming competitions, including the World Championships in September. "My entire focus is on myself, but apart from that, we train any youth who comes to us for training, and this training is given by my coach Salman Butt," he said.

Nadeem's journey to the Olympics was not without its challenges. He has faced calf injuries, which kept him away from competition and for which he underwent surgery in the United Kingdom. Despite these challenges, he managed to break the 90m barrier earlier this season with a throw in Doha.