The clock is ticking: Pakistan must capitalize on Nooh Butt's weightlifting brilliance

Pakistan's Nooh Dastgir Butt has become the first athlete to have won gold medals at the commonwealth events in both weightlifting and powerlifting.

Nooh, who had claimed gold in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, also secured three golds and a bronze in the +120kg in the Commonwealth Classic Powerlifting Championship being held at the Sun City in South Africa.

Nooh clinched golds in squat, bench press and total while his bronze came in the deadlift.

This was also a debut event for Nooh, who has made his bones as a top-level weightlifter.

In squat, the Gujranwala-born Nooh lifted a weight of 370 kilogram to claim gold. After a successful lift at the first attempt, Nooh did not opt to try again as he knew that he had secured gold as his other opponents were far behind. This is also the record of the commonwealth powerlifting event.

Nooh also managed a gold in the bench press by lifting a weight of 210kg and his third gold came in the total as he amassed a record aggregate of 860kg.

Nooh had to struggle in the deadlift and had to content with a bronze. After managing to lift a weight of 280kg in his first attempt, Nooh missed the next two lifts in the deadlift.

Nooh will also feature in the Commonwealth Equipped event on October 13.

“Surely there are also a few medal chances in that event too,” Pakistan Powerlifting Federation chief Rashid Malik told Nukta from London.

He also informed that Nooh will also feature in the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship in Tashkent on December 10. The event starts on December 1.

Missed flights

Nooh's journey to Sun City was nothing short of arduous. His ordeal began on October 6 when his flight from Lahore was cancelled, forcing him to rush to Multan for an alternative flight. However, upon arrival, he found the counter closed, thwarting his plans once again.

Undeterred, Nooh immediately headed to Faisalabad, navigating through treacherous roads blocked by PTI protests and containers. At the airport, he introduced himself as Pakistan's top weightlifter, explaining his urgent need to reach South Africa for an event. Moved by his determination, authorities allowed him to pass.

Nooh's travel woes continued as he boarded a delayed Fly Dubai flight to Dubai, only to miss his connecting Kenya Airlines flight. Fortunately, airline authorities offered consolation and assistance, eventually putting him on a flight to Johannesburg.

After arriving in Johannesburg, Nooh embarked on a grueling two-and-a-half-hour drive to Sun City, finally reaching his destination.

Why has Nooh shifted to powerlifting?

Due to strained relations with Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) Nooh missed not only the Paris Olympics qualifiers but also the last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou.

According to the PWF, Nooh did not attend trials and so he was not considered for the Asian Games-bound squad. Due to this strained relation, he also lost his International Olympic Committee (IOC) scholarship which he had got initially for preparation for the Paris Olympics. The poor relationship between the two parties also meant that Nooh had to feature in the Quetta National Games as an individual athlete under the Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) banner.

The PWF claims that Nooh had sided with the interim committee constituted by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for handling the affairs of the discipline in the country.

During a recent interview with Nukta, which will soon be released, Nooh has mentioned that he is ready to resolve the issue for the sake of the country.

The same issues have massively affected his weightlifting career. Nooh had no way to go. Powerlifting was the only niche where he could show his wonders. He had also featured in the 2024 National Powerlifting Championship in Lahore and claimed gold.

Nooh is a star weightlifter and it is the need of the hour to bring him back into the fold. If he is trained in quality fashion he can win medal for the country in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as well.

POA can bring both the PWF and Nooh together. Nukta understands that Nooh is in serious mood and he wants to win a medal in the 2028 Olympics for the nation if he is allowed to feature in the qualifiers.