Pak weightlifters return after Asian Championship

KARACHI: A three-member Pakistan weightlifting squad returned home on Monday after featuring in the Asian Championship held at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Pakistan failed to win any medal.

The three weightlifters were experienced Abdul Ghafoor, Mohammad Shehzad and Haider Ali.

Abdullah Butt and Mohammad Tahir were also scheduled to take part in the continental event but could not proceed due to injuries.

The three who did take part in the continental event managed to meet the qualifying standard for the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Australia in April next year.

A senior official of Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) told ‘The News’ that he was satisfied with the performance of the weightlifters. “They did not perform badly. They have achieved what their coaches wanted from them,” the PWF vice-president Rashid Malik told this correspondent.

“All the three have been able to almost meet the qualifying standards of the Commonwealth Games. They played with a certain plan,” Malik said.

In the 56 kg competitions, Abdullah Ghafoor finished fifth with a total of 231kg, 101kg in snatch and 130kg in clean and jerk.

In the absence of India, Abdullah was the best player in his weight among the Commonwealth nations.

In the 64kg, Shehzad scored a total of 247, 114 in snatch and 133 in clean and jerk. Shehzad had lifted 240kg in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, narrowly missing a medal.

Shehzad lifted 114 in snatch and 133 in clean and jerk.

Haider Ali, in 77kg, finished with 289 kg, 129kg in snatch and 160kg in clean and jerk.

Haider had almost lifted the same weight in national trials which means that he lived up to the billing.

Pakistan is expected to field six weightlifters in the Islamic Games, pencilled in for May 12-22 in Baku, Azerbaijan: Abdullah (56kg), Talha Talib (62kg), Abu Sufyan (69kg), Mohammad Tahir (85kg), Usman Amjad Rathore (94kg), Noor Dastigeer Butt (105+kg).