KARACHI: Muhammad Nooh Dastgir Butt Gold Medalist Weightlifter from Gujranwala, Pakistan who won Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship 2022 is getting prepared to contest Asian Games and Olympics within the next 16 months. He belongs to a Kashmiri weightlifting family being trained by his father Ghulam Dastgir Butt who also participated in international weightlifting events. He is the coach of Nooh and his brother Hanzala Dastgir Butt (weightlifter, who also participated in CWC 2022).

Nooh Dastgir left Karachi yesterday after a brief visit and attended the award ceremony hosted by the KPT in his honor. On this occasion, he held exclusive talks with the daily National Courier and replied to various queries. Butt won the bronze medal in the 105+ kg weightlifting competition in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In an attempt to turn it into gold, Nooh attempted 228 kg in 2nd and 231 kg in the third attempt. On 3 August 2022, Butt won Pakistan's first gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games when he won the men's +109 kg weightlifting event. He lifted 173 kg in the snatch category, and 232 kg in clean and jerk, both Commonwealth Games records, for a combined 405 kg.

Muhammad Nooh Dastgir Butt stated that in Commonwealth Games Birmingham, UK final was against the New Zealander to whom he had lost the final in the 2018 games in Australia, the other contestant was an Indian weightlifter who won bronze. Earlier, I had defeated the same Indian about twelve times.

There were about 72 countries in the competition of CW Games, while in Olympic Games 202 countries participate. Next year in October I will contest in Asian Games in Beijing, China, and after that in August 2024 will go to Paris Olympics. The last Olympics were held in Tokyo in 2020, and its winner was already defeated by me in the year 2018 the junior championship. But I was unable to participate in Tokyo Olympics due to covid-19 just 10 days before the Olympics hence did not go. He disclosed that in Birmingham Pakistani players 120 out of them seven won the medals. We won two gold four silver and one bronze medal. All four silver winners were defeated by the Indians. In weightlifting, I was the only winner while remaining all lost to Indian players. The reason is that Indians have gone too far in this field. They have good investments, the best equipment, and an advanced training system. In my competition, the Indian winner of the bronze medal was awarded a cash prize of Rs20 million by just one state of Punjab in addition to others, while the gold medal winners in India were awarded Rs90 million each. Replying to another question he said, “I got married this month and my coach father allowed two months' leave only after which I will rejoin my training for the next task. I belong to the 109 kg plus as Super Heavy Weight and my younger brother Hanzala participates in the 109 kg class that is called Heavy Weight. His age is 20 while I am 24 years old. The minimum weight lifting limit in this class of Olympics is 250 kg and its maximum record is 260 kg. While I have already successfully attempted up to 240 kg, Asian Games record is 250 kg for which I am getting preparations. On the other hand, the CW Games record is 232 kg I achieved,” he added. 

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 24 2022

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