Modern figure
Arshad Nadeem
ਅਰਸ਼ਦ ਨਦੀਮارشد ندیم
Javelin thrower from a village near Mian Channu who won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 with an Olympic record of 92.97 metres.
Arshad Nadeem grew up in a poor family in the canal country near Mian Channu, in Khanewal district, and began throwing on village fields. With little money or equipment he reached world finals and, at the Paris Olympics in 2024, threw 92.97 metres, an Olympic record, to win Pakistan's first individual Olympic gold medal.
Neeraj Chopra of India took silver. The two javelin throwers of the two Punjabs, friends and rivals, became a symbol of what the neighbours share.