President Asif Ali Zardari announced on Saturday that Arshad Nadeem would be awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz for his record performance in the Paris Olympics 2024.

The superstar athlete set a new Olympic record on Thursday in the men’s javelin final in Paris and won Pakistan’s first gold medal in 40 years.

Achieving a monstrous throw of 92.97 metres on his second attempt, Arshad’s throw was Pakistan’s first individual gold medal, first track and field medal and the second time a South Asian has had a podium finish in track and field.

Nadeem’s efforts bagged him a combined cash prize announcement of Rs151 million from the governments in Punjab and Sindh yesterday. The National Assembly had passed a unanimous resolution a day ago recommending that the government award the highest civil award to Arshad.

According to a statement issued by the presidency today, Arshad will be awarded the civil award in a special ceremony in recognition of outstanding services in the field of sports.

It said the President House had sent a letter to the federal cabinet for approval of the athlete’s civil award, adding that according to the Constitution, the president could award honours to the citizens of Pakistan in recognition of their valuable services in various fields under Article 259(2).

“Arshad Nadeem has made the country proud in the field of sports with his excellent performance,” the president said.

Separately, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the issuance of a special postage stamp in honour of Nadeem and to commemorate the nation’s struggle for freedom and its achievements on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day.

The initiative was taken on the special directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said the minister in a news statement.

Tarar said the special postage stamp was titled “Azm-i-Istehkam”, adding that it was a testament to the country’s commitment to development and prosperity.

He said a picture of Nadeem has been added to the stamp to pay tribute to him for his Olympic feat.

The minister said the freedom struggle of the nation and its symbolic importance were highlighted by adding an image of Minar-i-Pakistan to the stamp.

Tarar said the stamp would continue to remind future generations about the struggle and sacrifices made by their ancestors for freedom and the government’s commitment to the country’s development.