Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday presented a cheque of Rs5 million to national Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athlete Shahzaib Rind, following the premier’s intervention to address delayed rewards.
In September, Shahzaib Rind won the Karate Combat Championship (KC-49) in Singapore. He defeated Brazil’s Bruno Roberto De Assis in the final. He became the first world champion from Pakistan in this sport.
After the victory, President Asif Ali Zardari gave Rind a cheque of Rs 100 million. The Balochistan government announced a Rs 2 million prize. A former minister also promised him 25 acres of land.
However, on Wednesday, Rind criticised the government in a post on X.
“Our politicians are corrupt,” Rind wrote.
“It was all [a] lie; I never got [a] penny from them. They just take pictures, fake promises and forget shame,” he added.
Rind said he was promised Rs 5 million in cash and Rs 80 million for training and upcoming matches. But he received nothing.
Last week, federal information minister Attaullah Tarar took to X to assure Rind about PM Shehbaz’s complete support, writing, “ There seems to be some miscommunication. We sincerely apologise for this unjustified delay, sportsmen like you are our real heroes and we value your achievements. You have brought great honour to the country and made us all proud. The Prime Minister has taken a serious notice of this inordinate delay and rest assured,it will be sorted out immediately inshallah.”
MMA athlete Shahzaib Rind commented under Tarar’s post, writing, “Thank you for your kind message and acknowledgment. I truly appreciate the Prime Minister’s attention to this matter and his commitment to supporting athletes like myself.”
“JazakAllah for addressing this — looking forward to the resolution soon,” said the athlete.
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