After conquering Sun City, Nooh Butt eyes world powerlifting crown

Pakistan’s premier weightlifter Nooh Dastgir Butt, who stole the limelight at the recently held Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship in South Africa with seven golds, has said that if he trains well he can win world and Asian titles in powerlifting.

“If I train well then I am sure I can win both world and Asian titles in powerlifting,” Nooh told Nukta from Sun City South Africa.

Nooh, also the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games gold medalist, amassed three golds in the classic and four in the equipped category events of the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship to create a major stir. He also won a bronze in the +120kg deadlift in the classic category.

Nooh was simply matchless in his record-filled journey in Sun City, which is located at two and a half hours drive from Johannesburg.

“I had trained for this event but was not sure that I would deliver such a fine performance. Thanks God things went right up to the mark and I am happy with what I have achieved on my debut event in powerlifting,” Nooh said.

“I will now feature in the Asian Powerlifting Championship in Tashkent on December 10. It’s a tough zone but I am confident of a gold there,” Nooh said.

Facing big hurdles

However, Nooh is facing major issues in his weightlifting career.

Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) has disowned him. The PWF claims that he had sided with the interim committee constituted by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB). However, Nooh says his sole focus is on his training, stressing that he keeps away from all kinds of politics.

Nooh was not picked for the last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou where he could have won a medal for Pakistan. The PWF had claimed that he did not attend trials for the Asiad. Nooh was forced to compete in last year’s National Games in Quetta under Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) banner because of this issue.

In order to extend his career Nooh opted for powerlifting and his glorious show in South Africa is a solid proof of his remarkable talent.

“If weightlifting doors have been shut for me then powerlifting is the only discipline where I can show my mettle and can grow,” Nooh said.

The Gujranwala-based Nooh trains in his hometown in his own facility under the supervision of his father Ghulam Dastgir Butt, also a former international weightlifter.

The PWF have wrongly handled the case of Nooh and he deserves to represent Pakistan in weightlifting once again.

After having missed the previous Olympic cycle because of his strained relations with the PWF, Nooh will need to be brought back into the weightlifting fold so that he could earn a spot at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) needs to reserve IOC scholarship for Nooh for the LA Games as there is a chance that his relations with the PWF will be restored any time soon.

Nooh had got the IOC scholarship for the Paris Olympics but it was taken back from him because of his strained relations with the PWF.