Pakistani weightlifter Talha Talib, who impressed millions of sports enthusiasts around the globe courtesy his stellar performance in the Tokyo Olympics, said Monday he was confident about bagging the gold medal for Pakistan in the next edition of the tournament. Talha, competing in the 67kg men’s weightlifting contest, was on top of the race for a while before being surpassed by athletes from China, Colombia, and Italy in final attempts. After lifting 150kg in the snatch lift, Talha fell while attempting 166kg in the first attempt at the clean and jerk move. He lifted 170kg in his final attempt to have an overall lift of 320kg.
❤️🇵🇰🏆 https://t.co/b7fD82eEDx
— Talha Talib (@talha_tlb) August 4, 2021
Thank you @AmbNong ☺️
PAK 🇵🇰 CHINA 🇨🇳 ❤️🤝 https://t.co/MmJOxtDOwd— Talha Talib (@talha_tlb) August 1, 2021
2 of the 4 people who finished above Talha Talib today broke the olympic record. A great effort from the young man to finish in 5th place, he should be very proud #Olympics #Weightlifting #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/7XIiZnm8fC
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) July 25, 2021
Moreover, Talib appeared on the morning show, where he thanked Pakistanis for showering him with love and affection. “The way they showed me adulation, and how they motivated me on social media, I want to thank Allah first and then the people of Pakistan,” he said. He said he went into the competition with the sole aim to give his best performance, adding that he never expected to receive such love and praise from the masses. However, the Olympian’s road to the international event was not a smooth one. Talha revealed he did not train with proper equipment and a makeshift gym at a school was where he lifted weights to prepare himself for the global event.