ISLAMABAD, Aug 12 (DNA): Pakistan’s gold medal winner Arshad Nadeem, fresh from his triumphant return from the Paris Olympics Monday has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the nation, his family, and his fans for their unwavering support and love where he reiterated his commitment to continue working hard and making country proud.

  In his exclusive Interview with a private news channel,  Arshad acknowledged that his success has brought a sense of responsibility, saying, “I feel a deep sense of responsibility to continue making Pakistan proud. I want to inspire the next generation of athletes to work hard and chase their dreams.”

 When asked about his future plans, Arshad revealed that he is already setting his sights on the next Olympics. “I am focused on continuing my training and improving my performance. I want to win more medals for Pakistan and make my country proud again and again.”

 Responding a query, Nadeem said that he sets a new Olympic record of 92.97m to win the men’ s javelin throw gold at the Paris Olympics, adding, India’s Neeraj Chopra won silver whereas Grenada’s Andersen Peters won bronze.

 “Neeraj and I are good friends, but when we stepped onto the javelin throw field, our friendship took a backseat,” Arshad Nadeem said with a smile. “We were no longer just friends, but rivals representing our respective countries. We both knew what was at stake our country’s respect and pride”, he said.

  “Our friendship remains strong, but when it comes to representing our countries, we give it our all,” he added.

  To another question, Arshad Nadeem also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority) for their unwavering support.

  “I am not just thankful to WAPDA for providing me with a job and facilities, but also for supporting other national heroes like me,” he said.

 “WAPDA has been a constant source of encouragement and support, allowing us to focus on our training and competitions without worrying about our livelihood.

   Their contribution to the development of sports in Pakistan is immense, and I am proud to be associated with them,” he mentioned.

  Arshad Nadeem’s eyes also lit up with gratitude as he spoke about his mother’s encouragement and family support.

  “My mother has been my biggest inspiration and strength,” he said, adding, she always encouraged me to pursue my passion for javelin throw, even when I faced setbacks and injuries. Her unwavering belief in me and my abilities kept me going, and I am forever grateful to her.”

Arshad also praised his family’s support, saying, “My family has been my rock throughout my journey. They have made countless sacrifices to help me achieve my dreams, and I am thankful to each and every one of them, he added.

 Arshad Nadeem, basking in the glory of his historic gold medal win, also used the opportunity to urge the government to promote athletes’ talent and provide more facilities.

“I am grateful for the support I received from the government and sports authorities, but I believe more needs to be done to promote sports in Pakistan,” he said.

“We have immense talent in our country, but lack of facilities and infrastructure hinders our progress. I request the government to invest in sports infrastructure, provide better training facilities, and support athletes financially so they can focus on their training without worrying about their livelihood.”

 Arshad emphasized, If we provide our athletes with the right resources and support, I am confident we can produce more Olympic medalists and make Pakistan proud globally.

    He also suggested, “The government should establish sports academies, provide scholarships to young athletes, and organize international training camps to help us compete with the best in the world, he concluded.

PARIS, AUG 12: The United States of America pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday as Paris prepared to bring the curtain down on one of the most successful Olympic Games in history.

In a thrilling finale that capped 17 days of spellbinding action, the United States women’s basketball team squeezed past France 67-66 to clinch the last gold of the Games.

The win — the eighth consecutive Olympic women’s basketball won by the USA — ensured the Americans finished level with China on 40 golds each as the games drew to a close.

The USA however finished on top of the overall medal table with a total of 126 medals, with China in second place on 91.

Final Paris 2024 medal table
USA – 40 golds (126 total medals)

China – 40 golds (91 total medals)

Japan – 20 golds

Australia – 18 golds

France – 16 golds

Netherlands – 15 golds

Great Britian – 14 golds

With the last of the medals handed out, attention turned to Sunday’s closing ceremony spectacular at the Stade de France, where Hollywood star Tom Cruise is widely rumoured to feature as the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics gets under way.

Sunday’s final day began with a gripping women’s marathon victory by the Netherlands’ long-distance running star Sifan Hassan.

Hassan had taken on what many considered to be a crazy gamble in Paris, competing in the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon — the last two events just two days apart.

But in a jaw-dropping sprint finish, Hassan overhauled Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa to take gold by three seconds in an Olympic record of 2hr 22min 55sec.

On Friday she had taken bronze in the 10,000m after coming away with a bronze in the 5,000m.

She fell to the ground on the blue carpet in front of the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in the heart of Paris before grabbing a Dutch flag to celebrate an extraordinary achievement.

Wrestling, weightlifting, water polo, volleyball, modern pentathlon, handball, and track cycling were the other sports to crown Olympic champions on the last day.

Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas ran and shot to Olympic gold in the modern pentathlon, with home favourite Elodie Clouvel roared on to clinch silver.

In weightlifting, China’s jubilant Li Wenwen lifted her coach into the air instead of the bar, having already secured gold.

At the velodrome, Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen surged to the men’s keirin for his third gold of the Games, ending British dominance of the event they had won at every Olympics since 2008.

New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews blasted to the women’s sprint title to add to her keirin gold, while American cyclist Jennifer Valente won the women’s omnium.

In men’s water polo, Serbia won their third straight Olympic gold with a 13-11 victory over Croatia at La Defense Arena and pulled their coach into the pool in the celebrations.

As the sport ends, attention turns to the closing ceremony and the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years.

• Additional inputs from AFP