Victory has many fathers

You can tell a lot about a nation by how it treats its heroes, especially those who emerge from lower socio-economic groups. In its supposed ‘welcome’ to Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medalist in four decades, the PMLN government brazenly attempted to rob him of his victory.

How? By making it all about themselves. Flanked by PMLN ministers, Arshad Nadeem was essentially held hostage upon his arrival. Under the guise of a ‘heroic welcome,’ the government and its powerful ministers were not there in support, but rather to turn his personal achievement into their own political glory. They could rob him like that because they are used to robbing the social class that he belongs to for decades and yield immense power over it. The same ministers would not dare to cross such a line if Arshad came from the elite class, with an Aitchison College or Karachi Grammar School background.

The uncomfortable truth is that Arshad Nadeem did not just compete against other countries; for years, he struggled against his own country—its institutions, power dynamics, his socio-economic class, and a mindset that refused to provide him and thousands of others like him with the necessary training, facilities, and even a javelin to practice. That is what makes his victory truly bigger and more unique than any other victory at Olympics. Sadly, he returned to Pakistan only to be greeted by the same people and the status-quo mindset, each of whom waited like vultures to claim a piece of his victory. This is because a government failing at everything will try to steal anything to survive another day.

Arshad’s victory belongs solely to him and his family—not to the nation and certainly not to any political leader.

For his own sake, he should apply for a sporting talent visa to the U.S., Australia, or any country where his victory will remain his own, and where he will not be robbed of his talents and dignity due to his social class.