ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif handed over a Rs 5 million cheque to the father of mixed martial arts champion Shahzaib Rind on Tuesday.
PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed best wishes to Rind for his upcoming fights and appreciated his achievements for Pakistan at the global level.
The cheque was awarded following the viral tweet from the athletes criticizing the federal government for fake promises.
Khair Muhammad, Father of MMA Fighter Shahzaib Rind receives a cheque of Rs. 5 Million from Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. pic.twitter.com/iQMSakLwrT
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) July 29, 2025
In his tweet, Rind wrote that the government promises 5 million cash and Rs 80 million for my training and support; however, he did not receive any of it from the authorities. Despite repeated efforts to contact the PM’s team over the last 1.5 years, he said he received no response.
Following the tweet, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Atta Ullah Tarar, acknowledged the delay and called the delay unjustified.
The Information Minister, in a tweet, said that the Prime Minister has taken notice of the matter, adding that “Sportsmen like you are our real heroes.”
He also added that such oversights “must never happen in the future.”
Moreover, Rind acknowledged the tweet from Tarar and said that “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.”
Balochistani boxer Shahzaib Rind created history in 2024 when he defeated Luiz Victor Rocha of Brazil to win the Karate Combat KC-49 Light Heavyweight Championship in Singapore.
He became the first Pakistani to win a major international martial arts title and went undefeated during the competition.
