Retired banker wins back-to-back deadlift gold medals after heart surgery

PESHAWAR: A 71-year-old retired banker from Peshawar has won provincial gold medals in deadlift competitions in consecutive years after taking up strength training following open-heart surgery.

Naseem Khan, who is originally from Kohat, retired as a bank manager in 2016. He later underwent open-heart surgery and was advised by doctors to reduce weight through light exercise. At the time, he weighed 108 kilograms and had a 53-inch waist.

He joined a bodybuilding gym at the Peshawar Sports Complex in March 2022 and began by lifting 50 kilograms. With coaching support and a planned diet, he gradually increased that to a 120-kilogram deadlift. His weight has since dropped to 82 kilograms and his waist has reduced to 40 inches.

Khan won gold medals in the under 50 master deadlift category at the provincial championships in both 2024 and 2025. He now spends nearly three hours a day at the gym after dropping his wife at a nearby park for her daily walk. A father of five, he also urges friends and other senior citizens to make regular exercise and strength training part of their routine. Reflecting on the change, he said his only regret was not beginning fitness earlier and added that many Pakistanis ignore exercise and do not prioritise their health until it is too late.