ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated weightlifter Nooh Dastagir Butt on Thursday as he won the first gold medal for Pakistan in the Commonwealth Games 2022 with a record lift of 405kg.
This is the first gold for Pakistan in any category in the ongoing games in Birmingham.
“Well done, Butt saab,” Sharif wrote on Twitter.
This was Pakistan’s second medal overall after Judoka Shah Hussain Shah won bronze, bagging the South Asian nation’s first medal on Wednesday in the -90kg category after defeating South Africa’s Thomas-Laszlo Breytenbach.
With the two latest additions, Pakistan now has 76 medals at the Commonwealth Games since the South Asian country made its debut in 1954, when it won six medals. These include 26 gold, 24 silver and 26 bronze medals. Neighbouring India has over 500 medals.
On Wednesday, the Commonwealth Games official Twitter account said the world had seen two new Commonwealth Games records in weightlifting by teams England and Pakistan.
Weightlifter Butt has set a new Commonwealth Games record by lifting 173kg in snatch in the 109+kg category. He also set another record by lifting 232kg in clean and jerk. Overall, he lifted 405kg, another CWG record.
Quoting Butt, the Commonwealth Games Twitter account said his father had been “really upset” with him the last time he won bronze and didn’t talk to him for a while.
“His dad will be speaking to him tonight,” the tweet said.
Following is a breakdown of Pakistan’s medal tally at the Commonwealth Games since 1954:
