Pakistani powerlifting duo a rare bright spot for Christian minority
LAHORE: Twinkle Sohail and Sonia Azmat have the weight of the Pakistani Christian world on their shoulders, but if anyone can bear the hopes of such a persecuted minority, it is these teenage champion powerlifters.
Last year Twinkle became the first Pakistani woman to represent her country in powerlifting, taking a gold medal in the 57 kilogram junior event at the Asian Bench Press Championship in her first attempt.The next day, her teammate Sonia took a second gold medal for Pakistan in the 63kg category, earning her place in the history books alongside Twinkle.
The achievements of the two young Christian women represent a rare bright spot for a minority who frequently find themselves the targets of extremist attacks — such as the one carried out in Lahore last Easter that killed 72 people, many of them children.