Star weightlifter Nooh Dastgir Butt leaves for Florida to feature in US Open

By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Pakistan’s leading weightlifter and 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nooh Dastgir Butt departed for the United States on Thursday to compete in the US Open Weightlifting Championship which opened earlier in the day in Florida.
The 27-year-old will take part in the +109kg category on December 7.
A source close to the athlete confirmed Nooh’s departure and said he remained optimistic about the weightlifter’s performance.
“Yes, he left today and I am hopeful he will deliver,” the source told thecricketplus.com.
Nooh has been training intensively at his home base in Gujranwala, rebuilding form after spending recent years contesting major international powerlifting events. He has now fully returned to Olympic weightlifting as he begins charting a path toward qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
However, his competitive prospects remain clouded by the governance turmoil in the sport at home. Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) is currently suspended by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), preventing the federation from entering athletes in international competitions under its authority.
Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has also imposed its own suspension on the PWF, deepening uncertainty over administrative control and future athlete participation. With the 2026 Commonwealth Games and 2026 Asian Games looming next year, sports officials face growing pressure to resolve the dispute quickly to ensure Pakistan’s top lifters including Nooh and Olympian Talha Talib can compete.
The continued inaction could cause lasting damage to the sport. Pakistan has produced few world-class lifters in recent years and the potential loss of Nooh and Talha from the competitive circuit would leave the country without viable successors capable of international-level performances.
Pakistan’s sports governance bodies are running out of time to address the matter. Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) could potentially intervene to facilitate the athletes’ entries into multi-sport events like Commonwealth Games and Asian Games while the national federation remains suspended and the PSB refuses to recognise it.
The PWF will ultimately be required to clear outstanding dues with the IWF if it hopes to have its suspension lifted and restore Pakistan’s presence in the global weightlifting community.