Three Pakistani Christian sisters have made history by winning 12 gold medals in a powerlifting championship in South Africa last week, garnering laurels for their community and nation.
Weightlifters Sybil Sohail, Veronika Sohail and Twinkle Sohail competed in the 52 kg, 57 kg and 84 kg categories respectively, excelling in squat, bench press, deadlift, and overall weight. The siblings bagged four gold medals each, showcasing their prowess and elevating Pakistan's stature in international weightlifting.
Congratulating the Sohail sisters for their record-breaking performance, Punjab Sports Minister Faisal Ayub Khokhar said: “You have raised the Pakistani flag on the global horizon and brought honor to our nation. You have proven that with even modest support, our sisters and daughters are second to none. Winning 12 gold medals at the Asian Pacific African Powerlifting Championship in South Africa is a historic achievement.”
Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, Rana Mashhood Ahmed also applauded the Sohail sisters for their outstanding performance in South Africa, describing the sisters as the ‘Pride of the Nation’.
“Our daughters like Sybil and Veronica Sohail are the pride of our nation. These girls have proven their abilities on the global stage by winning gold medals.”
Mashhood said the Sohail sisters had also participated in the Punjab Youth Festival, adding that the Prime Minister’s Youth Program was trying to provide full support to such athletes.
“To engage the country’s youth in positive activities, we need to revive the sports fields,” he added. “Encouraging young Pakistani athletes will enable our country to win more gold medals.”
According to Twinkle Sohail, the sisters, whose journey to South Africa was made possible through the support of the Punjab Sports Board, had been preparing for the championship in South Africa for a year.
"This was an important event for us because powerlifters from 20-25 countries from three continents were participating in it,” she told Christian Daily International.
Crediting her parents and brother Adil Sohail for supporting them in pursuing the sport, Twinkle said that her father Sohail Javed Khokhar motivated them to follow a sport that is unique and different from the rest.
However, their journey was not without hurdles, she added.
“Our grandfather and other family members did not support us at first. They discouraged our father as well. However, our parents always supported us. We were never alone in our struggle; our father has been a pillar of strength for us. Once we started winning medals, all those who were initially against us started supporting and motivating us,” she said.
Twinkle Sohail, 21, is studying BS Sports Sciences at the University of Lahore. In 2015, she became the first Pakistani female powerlifter to win four gold medals in the 47 kg category of Junior (Under-21) at the Asian Bench-Press Championship (ABP) held in Oman.
Sybil Sohail followed her sister’s footsteps and made headlines after winning gold for squat, bench press, deadlift, and total weight at the International Oceania Pacific Powerlifting Championship held in Singapore in 2017. She graduated with a degree in BS Sports Sciences and Physical Education from Punjab University and is currently pursuing a PhD.
Veronica Sohail, studying at St. Anthony's College, Lahore won gold medal in the women’s Under-17, 47 kg category at the Asian Pacific Classic and Equipped Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships 2018, held in Dubai.
Last but not the least, their fourth sister Mariyum Sohail is a national champion in weightlifting and powerlifting. She won a bronze medal in ABP 2018.
The Sohail sisters also known as ‘Power Girls’ received international recognition for creating a unique record in 2018, at the ABP Championship held in Dubai.
The Asian Powerlifting Federation (APF) in a statement at that time said, “In the APF powerlifting history, we never had four sisters competing at any powerlifting event and all four winning medals.”
