Indian weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav on Monday won silver medal in the women’s 53kg event at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026.
Making her Commonwealth Games debut, the 23-year-old weightlifter from Chhattisgarh delivered an impressive performance to secure the silver medal with a total lift of 199kg, comprising 88kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk. The effort marked her personal best in both the total and clean and jerk categories.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian weightlifter on her achievement.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “Congratulations to Gyaneshwari Yadav on winning the Silver Medal in Weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026. This success is even more noteworthy because she has achieved a personal best in this competition. May her success motivate the youth of India. Wishing her continued success in the journey ahead.”
Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya also congratulated the Khelo India athlete, saying, “Lifting Bharat’s pride higher! Many congratulations to Khelo India Athlete Gyaneshwari Yadav on winning a hard-fought Silver in the Women’s 53kg Weightlifting event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026.”
Nigeria’s Onome Omolola Didih claimed the gold medal with a total lift of 206kg (93kg snatch and 113kg clean and jerk), while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx won the bronze with 178kg.
Gyaneshwari began strongly with lifts of 82kg and 85kg before successfully clearing 88kg in the snatch, setting a new Commonwealth Games record in the category. Didih responded with a record-breaking 93kg lift to take the lead heading into the clean and jerk.
In the clean and jerk, the Indian lifter successfully cleared 103kg, 107kg, and 111kg, improving the Games record with each successful attempt and finishing with a total of 199kg. However, Didih sealed the gold by lifting 113kg in her final attempt to finish with 206kg overall.
Gyaneshwari’s silver medal took India’s tally at the Commonwealth Games to five medals—one gold, three silver and one bronze. Gyaneshwari also became India’s third weightlifting medallist in Glasgow after Mirabai Chanu, who won gold, and Raja Muthupandi, who claimed silver.
A product of Chhattisgarh’s sports development system, Gyaneshwari initially competed in the 49kg category before moving up to 53kg. She trains at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, under the national coaching programme and has represented India at the Commonwealth Championships, Asian Championships and World Weightlifting Championships.
(With agency inputs)
