Sybil Sohail Wins Gold at Asian Weightlifting Masters
Powerlifter-turned-weightlifter Sybil Sohail became the first Pakistani woman to win a gold medal in the Asian Weightlifting Masters Championship.
The competition was held in Doha, Qatar. This was Sybil’s first participation in any international weightlifting event, while she had previously won gold medals in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship.
31-year-old Sybil had always dreamed of raising the Pakistani flag in the Asian Championship, and this was the goal she set for herself after becoming the Commonwealth and Asian Commonwealth Powerlifting Champion last year.
Speaking to Doha, Sybil said that my goal is to bring glory to my country and my family. We have made countless sacrifices for this sport, and now it is time for all this hard work to pay off.
Sybil competed in the 59kg category and lifted a total of 95kg, including 40kg in the snatch and 55kg in the clean and jerk.
Sybil Sohail is the eldest of four sisters. Her sisters include Twinkle Sohail, Veronica Sohail, and Maryam Sybil, all of whom are powerlifters and weightlifters.
The four sisters won a combined 15 gold medals at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships last year, with Sybil alone winning 6 of them.
The sisters are from the Christian community of Lahore, and they have set an example for a community that is rarely seen in sports.
Sybil credits her success to her sister Twinkle, who introduced her to the sport, and to coach Rashid Malik, who guided her at the Punjab University grounds.
Twinkle said that Sybil had won many medals for Pakistan in powerlifting, but this was her first international weightlifting championship. It was her long-held dream.
She mentioned a bitter incident in which Sybil could not attend the trials of the national weightlifting squad in 2016 because her exam was on the same day.
Sybil Sohail was sure that if she had attended the trials, she would have been selected in the team, but it was not possible to sacrifice her education. She has now fulfilled this dream, which took her 9 years.
Twinkle added that she understands Sybil’s feelings well because she herself had missed out on going to Nepal at one point. After all, the government had funds for only five athletes, and she was ranked sixth. We turn our disappointments into passion and motivate them to win medals.
Weightlifting is beneficial for women. Sybil Sohail said that it is a misconception that weightlifting is harmful for women.
The fact is that this exercise is beneficial for women, strengthens muscles, and is necessary for a healthy life.
She said that many Pakistani women powerlifters and weightlifters have become mothers of children even after marriage and are living a healthy life.
