India’s star weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav delivered a stellar performance to clinch the silver medal in the women’s 53kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. With this achievement, she secured the country’s fifth medal of the games. She became the fourth Indian weightlifter to reach the podium at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, joining the ranks of Rishikant Singh (silver), Mirabai Chanu (gold), and Raja Muthupandi (silver).
Gyaneshwari won the silver medal by lifting a total of 199 kg (88 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk). The gold medal in this event went to Nigeria; Onome Omolola Didih of Nigeria won gold with a lift of 206 kg, while Canada’s Rebecca Groulx secured the bronze medal with 178 kg.
Tough competition from the Nigerian weightlifter
The 23-year-old athlete began the competition in the snatch category by easily lifting 82 kg in her very first attempt. In her subsequent two attempts, she lifted 85 kg and 88 kg, respectively, recording a best effort of 88 kg in the snatch category. However, she trailed after the snatch round concluded, as Nigeria’s Onome Omolola Didih had set a formidable target by lifting 93 kg.
Gyaneshwari made a strong start in the clean and jerk section by lifting 103 kg, briefly moving to the top of the leaderboard in the women’s 53kg final. However, Didih lifted 105 kg in her first attempt of the clean and jerk round, pushing Gyaneshwari down to second place. Subsequently, the young Indian lifter lifted 107kg in her second attempt; however, this was not enough to take the lead, and she remained in second place.
The Nigerian lifter then attempted 110kg in her next lift; succeeding in this secured the gold medal for her, while Gyaneshwari had to settle for silver. Nevertheless, the Indian lifter concluded the competition by successfully lifting 119kg in her third and final attempt.
Journey from Chhattisgarh to the International Stage
Hailing from Chhattisgarh, Gyaneshwari Yadav entered the world of weightlifting at a young age. She established herself among India’s top female weightlifters through consistently excellent performances in junior and senior national competitions. Currently, she is undergoing training under the national coaching program at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NS NIS) in Patiala.
