Twenty-one-year-old weight-lifter from Gujranwala, Talha Talib, made history with his debut in the Tokyo Olympics 2021 in the 67kg category.
Talib held the gold medal spot until the last round. His snatch category – 151kg lift – was the second-best of the round.
The 21-year-old failed in his first attempt of 166 kg in the Clean and Jerk category but was successful in the second attempt.
Talib even cleared 170 kilograms later, but his total of 320 was surpassed by others. In the end, he bumped down to fifth place as China’s Lijun Chen, Colombia’s Luis J.M Lozano, and Italy’s Mirko Zani acquired gold, silver, and bronze respectively.
Nonetheless, Talib’s performance – considering the lack of resources and facilities he faced throughout his career – makes him the hero we need, but don’t deserve.
The Pakistani cricket team all-rounder Shadab Khan praised Talib’s performance, saying:
Pakistan is proud of Talha Talib. Urge sponsors and sports administration to help athletes like Talha, they have the potential to bring home Olympic medals and make Pakistan proud if given the facilities and financial support. #SupportAthletes #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/Hp4TryjwPC
— Shadab Khan (@76Shadabkhan) July 25, 2021
TV anchor Gharidah Farooqi also congratulated Talib on his achievement:
Talha Talib super boy!!! You have made the whole Pakistan 🇵🇰 proud. Shabash! It’s no small feat given how this sports is neglected in 🇵🇰 as compared to cricket. Zero facilities yet a great achievement. Pakistan must welcome you like a hero and invest! #weightlifting #Tokyo2020
— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) July 25, 2021
Talha Talib has previously clinched medals in Commonwealth (bronze), South Asian Games (gold), and International Solidarity Weightlifting Championship (gold), according to Pakistan Olympic Association.