LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) clinched both the men’s and women’s titles at the National Weightlifting Championship, which concluded at the National Coaching and Training Centre here on Wednesday.

Punjab finished runners-up in both competitions at the championship, organised by the interim committee of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation with the approval of the Pakistan Sports Board.

Seventeen-year-old Punjab weightlifter Furqan Ahmad stole the limelight with a record-breaking performance in the men’s 88kg category.

Furqan lifted 145kg in the snatch and 180kg in the clean and jerk for a combined total of 325kg, surpassing his previous national mark of 315kg, which he had set at the 35th National Championship in Karachi last year.

Punjab also celebrated another impressive performance as under-17 lifter Haider Shakaib, a former Far East Cup silver medallist, won the 94kg category with a total lift of 287kg.

Balochistan’s Ameer Hamza created history by becoming the province’s first national weightlifting gold medallist after winning the 110kg category.

The under-17 lifter recorded a total lift of 270kg. Hamza is the son of former international weightlifter and national champion Alam Din.

In the women’s competition, HEC dominated the podium as Maham Qasim, Sahar Waeen, Aqsa Bashir, Aisha Jahangir, Zoha Javed and Fiza Khokhar secured gold medals in their respective weight categories.

Punjab’s Eman Fatimah and Sumaika Butt also claimed gold medals in their divisions.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2026