ISLAMABAD   -  President Dr Arif Alvi Saturday lauded performance of two Pakistani athletes who prominently competed in the recently concluded TokyoOlympics.

During a call on by the Olympians Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib, the president said they had brought laurels to the country with their outstanding display of talent. He expressed his confidence that Pakistani athletes would also perform better in the future, a press release said. Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza was also present during the meeting. The president also gave away cheques to the athletes. 

Pakistan’s star athlete Arshad Nadeem had put up a tremendous performance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and though he couldn’t win a medal in the world’s biggest sports festival finishing fifth, yet he won the hearts of millions of Pakistanis with his indomitable will to put the country on the map with little resources at his disposal. 

Talha Talib, the 21-year-old weightlifter, also performed well during the Tokyo Olympics and finished fifth in the 67kg category with an impressive performance of overall lifting of 320kg weight. In the clean and jerk third attempt, Talha Talib lifted 170kg, which is more than twice his bodyweight. 

Both the star athletes have sought the all-out support of the government and private sector and promised to win the gold medals in the Olympics 2024. They are keen to train in and abroad with modern facilities and equipment, which will surely help them prepare well for the mega event in Paris in 2024 and brighten their chances of winning gold medals for their country.