Arshad Nadeem meets FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Dubai

Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem met FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Dubai during the World Sports Summit in Dubai, where the football chief acknowledged familiarity with the Pakistani athlete's achievements.

The interaction took place on the sidelines of the summit, where Infantino asked Nadeem about his throwing distance. "It was a 92-metre throw, and now I want to break that record," Nadeem told the FIFA President.

Infantino expressed goodwill for the Pakistani athlete and posed for photographs with him during the meeting. The FIFA chief's awareness of Nadeem's accomplishments pleasantly surprised the Olympic champion.

Earlier this week, Arshad Nadeem was honoured with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Sports Award in the Global Breakthrough Athlete category at the World Sports Summit.

Nadeem received the accolade in recognition of his historic performance at the Paris Olympics, where he clinched the gold medal with a record-breaking throw of 92.97m, setting new Olympic and world records.

His effort surpassed the previous Olympic mark held by Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen for 16 years and marked Pakistan's first-ever Olympic gold medal in javelin throw.

Speaking after the ceremony, Nadeem described the award as a moment of immense pride for himself and the country, stating that international recognition would inspire young athletes and help promote javelin throw in Pakistan.

He added that his next major targets are the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, noting that receiving a prestigious sports award from the Dubai government had given him renewed confidence and motivation.

In an interview with Geo News on the sidelines of the World Sports Summit, Nadeem echoed his previous remarks, stressing that the recognition alongside global sports stars was a source of pride for Pakistan.

"The encouragement I have received here strengthens an athlete’s belief. Confidence and motivation are what a sportsman needs the most," he said, adding that such recognition plays a crucial role in pushing athletes to aim higher.