Nooh makes history with seven gold in SA

The 26-year-old dominated the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships equipped event.

KARACHI:

Nooh Dastgir Butt became the first Pakistani to win seven gold medals at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championsionship that took place in Sun City, South Africa.

Nooh had already created history in the powerlifting event by registering a total of 860 kg last week, but he came through for Pakistan again in the equipped powerlifting event as he lifted 850 kg in the +120kg category.

In the equipped events, he pulled off a deadlift of 300 kg, squat of 340 kg, and bench press of 210 kg.

Earlier in the classic event he lifted 860 kg outclassing Sri Lankan and Welsh powerlifters.

The press release issued by the Pakistan Powerlifting Federation says that the championships were held from October 4 to October 13 in Sun City.

While making his international come back after a long hiatus from sports, Nooh has been proving his critics in the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation wrong as he had been denied his right to prepare and qualify for the Paris Olympics despite being a top athlete.

In the Commonwealth realm, he won the Commonwealth Games gold medal and broke records in 2022 in Birmingham.

But instead of getting more sport for is Paris 2024 campaign he found himself caught in between the infighting of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation officials and a serious doping scandal that the federation officials were involved in that left honest athletes like Nooh nowhere to go.

But with the powerlifting medlas, he has delivered another stellar performance leaving no doubt about his ability to represent Pakistan in the best way possible at the international stage.

In Sun City, he won seven gold medals and a bronze medal.

Sohail Sisters shine again

Pakistani powerlifters Twinkle Sohail, Sybil Sohail, and Veronika Soahil made history by winning medals for Pakistan in their Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships debut.

In the Classic events, Sybil got gold in the 47 kg category, Veronika bagged bronze in the 52 kg event and Twinkle grabbed a silver medal in the 84 kg category.

But it was the equipped event where they impressed by lifting overall gold medals in each of their weight categories.

They each got three gold medals in the squat, bench press, deadlift, and finally the overall performance, making it 12 golds in equipped events.

Another powerlifter that received a bronze medal for Pakistan was Hussain Raza in the 93 kg masters 1 category.