Pakistan's Nooh Dastgir Butt made the country proud as he became the Commonwealth Powerlifting heavyweight champion in Sun City, South Africa on Thursday.
Nooh lifted an overall of 860 Kg in the championship. He lifted 370 kg in squat competition, 210 kg in bench press and 280 in deadlift competition, making him an over all winner in the +120kg open category.
He faced tough competition from Sri Lankan athletes but he made sure he won the gold medal for Pakistan after two hours of battling nerves.
It was a thrilling competition as Sri Lanka's Kushantan Satkuna Raja lifted 827kg to take the silver medal, whereas Wales' Ben Warren bagged the bronze medal with 817kg.
At the medal ceremony Nooh appeared in the +120 kg thrice in squats first, then bench press medal and finally deadlift.
It was deadlift competition that Nooh had the weakest performance as he got bronze in it with 280 kg, but his 370 kg in squat and 2010 kg in bench Press was impeccable as he got gold in both.
This was an emotional outing for Nooh, who was denied a chance to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics due to politics and administ5rative conflicts between the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation.
Pakistani national anthem played after he took his gold medal for the overall performance.
The Gujranwala-based athlete had taken a break and had to see his dream shatter but, bend and not broken he ventured into powerlifting with a mind to represent Pakistan on the international stage again and wear the green colour.
His is a potential too great to waste.
He won the Strongman gold earlier this year in Uzbekistan, and while talking to this correspondent he had said that his target would be to compete at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in October.
Nooh has been Pakistan's premier weightlifter as he broke the Commonwealth Games record back in 2022, but due to inadequate support and politics among PWF officials his efforts, dreams, and future was played with.
Nooh had to change direction from weightlifting to powerlifting so he can continue having his career as an athlete.
Pakistan is poorer for mistreating Nooh.
His win in South Africa further cements in place as one of the greatest athletes of the country, who has an impressive record of finishing at the podium in most competitions he goes to.
"The point is to win for Pakistan and not just participate for Pakistan. That has always been my mindset, and it will be the same if in the future I get to go to the Olympics too, I would want to win for Pakistan, that is what I have dedicated my life to," Nooh had told this correspondent earlier this year.
He has fulfilled his promise once again, being reliable as always with the gold medals in Commonwealth Powerlifting Champions.
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