‘You’ve made us all very proud’: Mahira Khan and other stars celebrate weightlifter Talha Talib

Pakistan is celebrating weightlifter Talha Talib for his performance at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and our celebrities are no exception. Many took to social media to celebrate Talib as a national hero whose efforts have made everyone proud, despite him missing out on a medal.

The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 started on July 23 after being postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Participating in the Olympics for the first time was the 21-year-old weightlifter from Gujranwala who placed fifth in the the 67kg weightlifting category. He held the gold medal spot until the final round before eventually being bumped down and denied a place on the podium.

Despite a severe lack of support and resources from the state, Talib was able to give a performance that has won him praise from celebrities and athletes across social media.

Mahira Khan

Khan took to Twitter and posted, “You’ve made us all very very proud!” alongside a picture of Talib from the Olympic Games.

Asim Azhar

Singer-songwriter Azhar highlighted how Talib “stood up and made the whole nation proud”.

Hira Mani

The actor posted on her Instagram Story and thanked Talib for his efforts on behalf of all of Pakistanis.

Azfar Rehman

The actor shared a news story of Talib’s achievement at the Olympic Games on Instagram.

Yumna Zaidi

The actor took to Twitter to post about how Talib had “won our hearts” with his performance at the Olympics.

Fakhr-e-Alam

Singer-songwriter and pilot Alam was also quick to commend Talib for his effort and hard work regardless of the loss. “So close yet so far away,” he posted on Twitter. “Proud of you.”

Muhammad Hafeez

Cricketer Muhammad Hafeez congratulated the fellow athlete on Twitter.

He stated that “people or federations [who do] not support athletes like you — by not providing necessary facilities — should be [held] accountable.”

Hassan Ali

Cricketer Hassan Ali called Talib a “champion” and said that he “represented the country with a brave heart and great passion”.

According to the Pakistan Olympic Association, Talib won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, a gold medal at the South Asian Games and another gold medal at the International Solidarity Weigh­tlifting Championship.

Congratulations to the athlete on his commendable performance at the Olympics and for making Pakistan so proud.