Talha to get his protein formula tested by PCSIR

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier weightlifter Talha Talib, who is under investigation for doping violations, is expected to get Rule One, a protein formula which he has used, tested through the state-owned PCSIR laboratory in Lahore to find out whether the said product has any banned ingredient in it.

It has been learnt that Talha wants to know whether the outcome of his dope test was caused by consuming Rule One.

According to sources, if Rule One test turns negative then it may create an issue for him but if it returns positive then it may help him in the expected punishment from WADA.

Sources close to the athlete have told this correspondent that during an interaction with the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) Talha said that he had changed his proteins and used nothing else.

Sources said that he took Rule One on the advice of a junior weightlifter.

Meanwhile, sources in the PWF told ‘The News’ that both Talha and Abu Bakar Ghani are under the scanner of WADA.

“Yes, both Talha and Abu Bakar are under investigation while there is no such email received by Sharjeel Butt. I don’t think he has any doping issue,” a PWF source told this correspondent.

If Talha and Abu Bakar face any punishment from WADA, then only four weightlifters will represent Pakistan in the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8.

If three weightlifters fail dope tests then it will put PWF in deep trouble and it may also face sanctions.

It may be recalled that Talha finished fifth in the last year’s Tokyo Olympics. He also got bronze in snatch in the World Championship a few months ago.

And he was a big gold hope for Pakistan in the Commonwealth Games. Talha won bronze in the previous Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018.