Lifting Pakistan’s flag: Talib avenges 2015 loss to India

Gujranwala-based weightlifter clinches gold medal.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Talha Talib beat 26 opponents yesterday to clinch the gold medal at the 2016 IWF Youth World Weightlifting Championships and Commonwealth Youth Weightlifting Championship in Penang, Malaysia.

The 17-year-old weightlifter had to settle for silver at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games after losing the final to an Indian counterpart.



However, he avenged that loss yesterday by lifting 117kg in the snatch and 141kg in clean and jerk categories respectively, with his total of 258kg in the 62kg event handing him the top gong.

The Gujranwala-based athlete’s Indian opponent Navi Gulam lifted 252kg to take silver, while another athlete from Nauro lifted 215kg to take bronze medal.

Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) Vice-President Muhammad Rashed Malik hailed Talha’s performance as well as his incredible hard work to get to this point.

“It is a great achievement for Pakistan and for Talha,” Malik told The Express Tribune. “We are proud of him for holding his nerves under pressure.”



Malik added that Talha is one of the few athletes in Pakistan with a real chance of securing a podium finish at 2020 Olympics Games.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2016.

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