Pakistan’s renowned weightlifter and powerlifter Nooh Dastgir Butt has added another international title to his name after winning gold at the International Pahlavon Mahmud Strongman Games in Uzbekistan.
The Gujranwala-born athlete competed in the “Jalaluddin Sword” contest, held in the city of Khiva, where participants had to hold a 14-kilogram sword for as long as possible. Nooh held the sword for 1 minute and 49 seconds to secure the gold medal.
According to reports, athletes from more than 20 countries took part in the event, which brought together some of the strongest competitors from around the world.
Expressing joy over the achievement, Nooh Butt’s father said he was proud that his son had once again brought international recognition to Pakistan and successfully defended his title.
Nooh is already one of Pakistan’s most successful strength athletes, with major achievements in weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman competitions.
He first rose to prominence at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he won bronze in the +105 kg weightlifting category with a total lift of 395 kg.
He later returned from injury to win silver at the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, helping him qualify for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
His biggest moment came at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he won Pakistan’s first gold medal of the competition in the men’s +109 kg weightlifting category. He lifted 173 kg in the snatch and 232 kg in the clean and jerk, finishing with a record total of 405 kg.
Following his Commonwealth Games success, Nooh was awarded the Pride of Performance. However, his weightlifting career later faced setbacks due to a dispute with the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation, which affected his participation in major international events, including the Paris Olympics cycle.
Despite those challenges, Nooh continued to compete in other strength sports. In 2024, he made a successful switch to powerlifting and won gold in the squat event at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in South Africa.
He also set an Asian squat record by lifting 400 kg in the 120+ kg category at the Asian Powerlifting Championship in Tashkent.
Nooh also made his mark in strongman competitions, winning gold in the Hercules Columns event at the Pahlavon Mahmud Strongman Games in Uzbekistan in 2024. In 2025, he continued his strong run by winning two gold medals at the World Strongman Championship in Uzbekistan.
His latest victory in the Jalaluddin Sword contest further strengthens his position as one of Pakistan’s leading strength athletes and adds another proud moment to the country’s international sports record.
