Talha Talib

Talha Talib (Urdu: طلحہ طالب) (born 3 October 1999) is a Pakistani weightlifter from Gujranwala. Talha made history by finishing fifth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, delivering one of the best Olympic performances by a Pakistani weightlifter in decades. In 2021, Talha tested positive for the banned steroid 19-norandrosterone in two separate tests, and received a three-year ban from January 25, 2022, to January 24, 2025.^[1] With his suspension now over, Talha is eligible to return to competition. He is set to compete in the 79 kg category going forward and is expected to participate in upcoming national and international events.^[2]

Talha Talib

Personal information
Native name	طلحہ طالب
Full name	Talha Talib
Nationality	Pakistan
Born	(1999-10-03) 3 October 1999 (age 25) Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan
Education	Superior College, Gujranwala
Years active	2015-2021 2025-present
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	79 kg (174 lb)
Sport
Country	Pakistan
Sport	Weightlifting
Weight class	79 kg
Coached by	Muhammad Islam Natiq
Medal record Men's weightlifting Representing  Pakistan Event 1st 2nd 3rd World Championships – – 1 Asian Championships – – 1 Commonwealth Games – – 1 Commonwealth Championships – 1 – Commonwealth Youth Games – 1 – IWF International Solidarity Championships 4 2 – Total 4 4 3 World Championships 2021 Tashkent 67 kg snatch Asian Championships 2020 Tashkent 67 kg snatch Commonwealth Games 2018 Gold Coast 62 kg Commonwealth Championships 2017 Gold Coast 62 kg Commonwealth Youth Games 2015 Apia 56 kg IWF International Solidarity Championships 2020 Tashkent 67 kg snatch 2020 Tashkent 67 kg clean and jerk 2020 Tashkent 67 kg total 2018 Cairo 67 kg snatch 2018 Cairo 67 kg clean and jerk 2018 Cairo 67 kg total
Updated on 10 June 2025

Early life and education

Talib began training from the age of eight in his hometown of Gujranwala, Pakistan. His father, Muhammad Islam Natiq, was a former National Junior Weightlifting Champion and had won a bronze medal at the 1999 Asian Powerlifting Championships in New Delhi. He worked as a national weightlifting coach for Pakistan, and was the one who introduced Talib to the sport.

Talib passed his matriculation from Quaid-e-Azam Divisional Public School and College, and then studied computer science from Superior College, Gujranwala.^[3][4]

Career

Talha Talib won the silver medal in the 56 kg category at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.^[5][6][7] He lifted 102 kg in snatch and 115 kg in clean and jerk for an aggregate of 217 kg.^[8] In October 2016, he participated in the IWF Youth World Championships in Penang, where he could only achieve 9th position in the 62 kg category. The next week, at the 2016 Commonwealth Youth Championships in Penang, he claimed silver in the 62 kg category, and was named Best Weightlifter.

He competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and won a bronze medal in the 62 kg category, lifting a total of 283 kg at the age of 18.^[9]

In December 2018, Talha competed at the 5th International Solidarity Weightlifting Championship held in Cairo, Egypt, in the 67 kg category. He won a gold medal in the snatch with a lift of 136 kg, along with silver medals in the clean & jerk (155 kg) and total (291 kg).^[10]

At the 2019 South Asian Games, Talib won gold in 67 kg category with a total weight of 292 kg (140 kg in snatch and 152 kg in clean and jerk).^[11]

In February 2020, he participated in the 6th International Solidarity Weightlifting Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, again in the 67 kg division. Talib delivered a dominant performance, securing three gold medals by lifting 142 kg in the snatch, 162 kg in the clean & jerk, and achieving a total of 304 kg.^[12]

In April 2020, at the 49th Asian Weightlifting Championships, he won a bronze medal by lifting 148 kg in snatch in 67 kg event.^[13]

He was brought into the national limelight at the following Olympics, where he finished fifth in the men's 67 kg event.^[14] Initially, Talib could not qualify directly for the event since he had missed a few events. However, he secured an invitational spot offered by the Tripartite Commission.^[15] At the event, Talib's lift of 151 kg in the snatch category was the second-best of the round. His overall tally of 320 kg was just 2 kg shy of the bronze medal.^[3] This was Pakistan's first top 5 position at the Olympics since 1988 in sports other than field hockey.

In the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Talib won the bronze medal in the 67 kg category by lifting 143 kg in the snatch event. This was Pakistan's first-ever medal at the World Weightlifting Championships.^[16]

However, later that same year, Talib tested positive for norandrosterone, a banned performance-enhancing drug, and received a three-year ban.^[17]

Awards and recognition

For securing fifth position in the men's 67 kg event at 2020 Summer Olympics, Talha was awarded the following:

• Rs. 25 lakh (US$8,700) from the WAPDA.^[18]
• Rs. 20 lakh (US$6,900) from the Chief Minister of Punjab.
• Rs. 10 lakh (US$3,500) from the President of Pakistan.
• Rs. 10 lakh (US$3,500) from the Punjab Sports Board.
• Rs. 10 lakh (US$3,500) from the Government of Punjab.