The medals keep coming for the Indian weightlifting contingent at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. India won its fourth straight medal in the discipline on Monday after Gyaneshwari Yadav won silver in the women’s 53kg category. She is now the fourth Indian weightlifter after Rishikanta Singh (silver), Mirabai Chanu (gold) and Raja Muthupandi (silver) to walk away on the podium in the 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games.
Gyaneshwari won silver with a total lift of 199 kg (88kg in snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk section). Nigeria’s Onome Omolola Didih (206kg) won gold while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx (178kg) took home the bronze medal.
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The 23-year-old began the competition in the snatch category and absolutely nailed the 82kg on her first attempt. In the next two attempts, she lifted 85kg and 88kg, respectively; hence, her best attempt was recorded at 88kg in the snatch category. However, after the end of the snatch round, Gyaneshwari was trailing as Nigeria’s Onome Omolola Didih set the bar high with a lift of 93kg.
In the clean and jerk section, Gyaneshwari began with a bang, lifting 103kg, and this enabled her to move to the top of the leaderboard in the women’s 53kg final.
However, Didih lifted 105kg on her first attempt in the clean and jerk section, pushing Gyaneshwari to the second spot. The young Indian lifter then lifted 107kg in her second attempt; however, this didn’t take her to the top spot, as she remained second.
The Nigerian lifter then went for 110kg in the next try, and a successful lift saw her ensure a gold medal for herself, while Gyaneshwari had to settle for silver. However, the Indian bowed out with her head held high after successfully lifting 119kg in her third and final attempt of the competition.
All you need to know about Gyaneshwari
Gyaneshwari is one of India’s most promising young weightlifters, known for her technical excellence and consistent performances on the international stage. Hailing from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh, she has emerged as a leading talent in women’s weightlifting through years of disciplined training.
Competing in the lighter weight categories, Gyaneshwari has represented India with distinction at several prestigious events. Her breakthrough came at the 2022 IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Heraklion, Greece, where she won three silver medals in the 49 kg category for the snatch, clean and jerk, and overall total, creating history for her state and establishing herself among the world’s best junior lifters.
She has also set national junior records in the 49 kg category, highlighting her exceptional potential. In 2026, she achieved another career milestone by winning a silver medal in the snatch and an overall bronze medal at the Asian Weightlifting Championships with a personal-best total of 194 kg. Her outstanding performances earned her a place in India’s squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
