Sybil Sohail

Sybil Sohail (born c. 1993–94) is a Pakistani powerlifter and weightlifter from Lahore. She is the eldest of four sisters known as "Power Girls", family of strength-sport athletes. In June 2025, she became the first Pakistani woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Weightlifting Masters Championship.

Early life and education

Sybil was born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan. Her father, Sohail Javed Khokhar, has supported his daughters' athletic careers throughout. She began competing in powerlifting around 2013, the year in which Pakistan's government established a women's weightlifting and powerlifting division. Her younger sister Twinkle Sohail, who in 2015 became the first Pakistani woman to win an international powerlifting gold medal, is credited with introducing her to the sport.

Sohail holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports Science and Physical Education from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, and is pursuing a doctoral degree. She trains at the Punjab University Sports Complex under coach Rashid Malik, who also coaches her sisters.

In 2018, all four Sohail sisters competed together at the ABP Championship in Dubai. The Asian Powerlifting Federation noted that it was the first time in its history that four sisters competed at any powerlifting event and all four won medals.

Weightlifting

Though Sybil had long aspired to compete in Olympic weightlifting – a more technical discipline distinct from powerlifting – she missed the trials for Pakistan's national weightlifting squad for the 2016 South Asian Games due to a university exam conflict. She spent the following years training in both disciplines.

Personal life

Sybil is a member of Pakistan's Christian community in Lahore. She and her sisters are among the very few athletes from Pakistani religious minority communities to achieve significant international recognition in strength sports. The family trains at a small academy near Mozang Chungi in Lahore, which operates as the Twinkle Sohail Academy and is open to any women who wish to train in weightlifting or powerlifting.

Her father has publicly noted that despite their achievements, the sisters have received limited institutional or governmental financial support, with most competition expenses – including entry fees, doping tests, accommodation, and equipment – funded personally or through private sponsorship.