Talha Talib, the 21-year-old weightlifter who managed to rank 5th in the 67kg men’s weightlifting contest at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, returned to fanfare at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal Airport on July 30.
The Olympian fell short of clinching a maiden weightlifting Olympic medal on Sunday – an impressive feat given that he competed without the help of a professional coach – but was given a hero’s welcome as he returned to Pakistan on July 30.
#TalhaTalib given hero's welcome after his return from #TokyoOlympics2020 pic.twitter.com/WSu6NbpaEX
— Fahad Saleem Hashmi (@FahadSays) July 29, 2021
He was greeted at the airport by the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation, fellow lifters and several friends and fans.
Several videos of Talib being laden with flower garlands as fireworks go off have been doing the rounds on social media, with Talib sharing many on his now-verified Instagram account, which boasts an impressive 100k+ (and growing) followers.
Talking to the media upon his return from Japan, Talib said, “I thank Allah and the nation for the prayers. I am grateful to the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation and the Olympic Association. I attribute my success to the nation. I am happy that the Pakistani flag soared higher.”
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He also requested adequate support for the next time and that he hopes to nag the gold medal in the next Olympics.
Talib turned to his Instagram to thank his coaches as well, writing, “After Allah Almighty, there are three persons, who are behind my success. 1- Naveed Aslam Malik ( Late ) My Great Coach. 2- Muhammad Islam Natiq, My Father and My Coach. 3- Hafiz Imran Butt, President of Pakistan Weightlifting Federation.”
