Talha bags gold in snatch, overall silver in weightlifting championship

Teenager wins first-ever medals for Pakistan in event

KARACHI: Pakistan's star weightlifter Talha Talib lived up to his reputation as he grabbed an overall silver, but a gold in snatch at the 5th Solidarity International Weightlifting Championship and Arab Weightlifting Championships in Egypt, while he took a silver medal in the clean and jerk.

With the performance, he became the first Pakistani to win a medal at the event whereas Pakistan has participated in the competition before.

The 19-year-old Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist has been competing in 67kg event, while he only lost out his top position to hosts Egypt by a margin of two kilograms.



Talha lifted 291kgs to get the overall silver.

The athletes get three medals for snatch, clean and jerk and over-all performance at the championships.

However, he made three new records for Pakistan.

He got a gold medal in snatch with 136kgs and lifted 155kgs in clean and jerk to accumulate 291kgs.

"This is a good performance and we were expecting the medals," Pakistan Weightlifting Federation official Muhammad Rashed Malik told The Express Tribune. "He is gaining popularity in the international circle and we are hoping for him and Nooh Dastagir Butt to qualify for the Olympics.

"At the ISSF Championship Talha was among the youngest athletes there and it had the best talent from Islamic countries, especially Arab countries.”

On the other hand, Haider Ali will be competing in 81kg event on Wednesday and he is expected to register good performance as well.