KARACHI: “I am setting my mind to win, whether I am lifting this weight at the Olympics or in an empty room during quarantine, I know I need to be perfect. I’m looking at it as practically as possible, I’m not taking any pressure,” Talha Talib explains at he left for Tokyo in the wee hours of July 21.
The history he is carrying is greater than the number of his age. He is the first weightlifter from Pakistan since 1976 to make the cut for the Olympics. That is 44 years, and 45 should we add the delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic in holding the 2020 Games, and Talha is not shy of the responsibility.
“I am leaving my family, but my father, my friends and my family are with me everywhere, in my thoughts and that empowers me. I know I couldn’t have made my way to the Olympics if it was not their hard work,” Talha told The Media. “I have trained hard and I will be peaking at the Games now. I am sure that I can win a medal. My snatch has improved to 148 and then the clean and jerk to 168kg, but I know I can lift more the Games. I’m feeling good about my chances.”
Talha has been a wonder kid throughout his journey to the Olympics as the youngster had to face multiple obstacles that would have broken any ordinary soul.
He first missed out on the Asian Junior Championship in Korea. Then the South Asian Games weightlifting event was stripped from the Olympic qualification event. And lastly, Talha had to miss on international competitions due to the lack of resources.
He won the gold medals at the 2020 International Solidarity Weightlifting Championship aggregating 304kg, and that was his last international event before the pandemic hit the world.
The Pakistan Olympic Association had announced in June that the Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist will be representing the country on an invitational place, which is often given to the athletes who have shown improvement in their category and have been deserving of a chance. —agencies
