Pakistani weightlifter Talha Talib yearns to bring home gold for Pakistan

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.

Talib appeared on the Geo News morning show Geo Pakistan, 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. 

"There was no training camp where I could train for the Olympics," he said. "I faced a lot of difficulties. However, my father encouraged me," added the weightlifter. 

The Pakistani Olympian said as he belonged to a middle-class family and he could not afford expensive supplements necessary for weightlifting. However, he credited the Pakistan Olympic Association for encouraging him. 

"They [Pakistan Olympic Association] paid for my expenses [for the Tokyo Olympics] and supported me," he said. "I was motivated when they told me to keep on training as they will look after financial support and other matters for me."

Speaking about falling short of the bronze medal glory, Talha said a difference of 2kgs was not a significant one. 

"With proper training and facilities, winning a gold medal for Pakistan won't be difficult in the next Olympics," he added. 

The Olympian said he had started to train for the upcoming championships and tournaments ever since he arrived in Pakistan. 

"Next up are the Commonwealth games and the Asian Championship," he said. "I will try to learn from my weaknesses and the mistakes I made."

Talha said he "direly needed" international weight standards to train with and required a training camp so that he can perform better in the upcoming international weightlifting competitions.