Pakistan’s Olympian weightlifter Talha Talib has requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to provide him with proper training facilities as he prepares for upcoming international competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.
Talib said he is currently training in a private garage, which makes it extremely challenging to prepare for competitions at the highest level. He stressed that access to a state-of-the-art gym would significantly improve his performance.
The request comes after Talib made a strong return to competitive weightlifting by winning the gold medal in the men’s 79kg category at the 35th National Games. The 26-year-old lifted 150kg in the snatch and 180kg in the clean and jerk, recording a total lift of 330kg to claim the top honor.
Talib first gained national and international recognition following his spirited performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where he narrowly missed out on a podium finish. He further established himself as a rising star by winning a bronze medal at the World Weightlifting Championship.
However, his promising career faced a major setback when he tested positive in a dope test conducted by the International Testing Agency in coordination with the International Weightlifting Federation, resulting in a three-year ban.
Talib chose not to challenge the test result and instead issued a written apology to the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation, stating that the violation may have been an unintentional mistake.
Following his successful return at the National Games, Talib shared that he is now fully focused on upcoming international competitions, including next year’s Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, with the LA Olympics 2028 set as his long-term target.
