Nooh Dastgir Butt won Pakistan’s first gold medal in the +109kg weightlifting competition at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Nooh had stated that he hoped to improve upon his bronze medal finish from his previous appearance at the Commonwealth Games. He did, however, surpass expectations by lifting 173 kg in the snatch and 232 kg in the clean and jerk, both records for the Commonwealth Games, to finish with a total of 405 kg.
Nooh had previously stated that he needed to take home a medal that was “greater than bronze” for his father and his nation. He believes that maintaining a bronze medal is no longer sufficient.
“My goal is to perform better today because my father was really disappointed with me the last time I got bronze and he stopped talking to me for a while. Just one thing, please.” For this occasion, I sincerely ask for the prayers of my fellow Pakistanis.
While Nooh previously consistently won silver and bronze medals at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships from 2015 to 2017, along with holding several national records, he also brought home a bronze medal from the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Gold Coast. However, Nooh is now more experienced and adept at strategizing.
He believes that the year he took off taught him a lot, most notably that winning is important to him and that getting back on one’s feet is important even when the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), and the government did not support him despite the fact that he was one of the best athletes to emerge from Pakistan.
He recalled how his family had struggled with his thigh muscle rupture and rehabilitation because there were no sports medicine specialists in Pakistan and neither the PSB nor the POA offered any assistance.
It was difficult for me to not be able to compete, therefore it was a gloomy moment for me.
“In 2019, I participated in both the South Asian Games and national competitions, but I was dealing with an injury that was getting worse by the minute. We paid for the entire cost of the treatment, and I had to quit competing and training for a long period. I can say that I am back because of my mum and father since they took care of me, said Nooh.
He performed 225kg in the clean and jerk and 175kg in the snatch at the most recent national competition. He acquired Covid-19 during the pandemic and was unable to compete in the Tokyo Olympics qualifying stages. However, he made the decision that he wanted to heal quickly in order to compete more effectively.
“I can say that my stakes in the Commonwealth Games are really high because I want to at least be able to demonstrate here all of the hard work that I have put in over the past 12 to 14 years of my life. I also want to win an Olympic medal.
I also want to win an Olympic medal. I would have if I were physically capable, but the goal is to triumph and honour my nation in order to finally have better outcomes, said Nooh.
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