CWG 2026: Gyaneshwari Yadav bags silver in women's 53kg weightlifting
Glasgow, July 27
Indian weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav produced a memorable performance in her Commonwealth Games debut, clinching a silver medal in the women's 53kg category in Glasgow on Monday, after a thrilling contest against Nigeria's Onome Omolola Didih, who won the gold.
Gyaneshwari's silver medal took India's tally to five medals, comprising one gold, three silvers and one bronze.
The 23-year-old from Chhattisgarh displayed remarkable composure and determination throughout the event, pushing the limits of her ability and setting some records in a hard-fought battle for the top spot, according to ESPN.
Gyaneshwari began her campaign in the snatch with an impressive 82kg lift before raising the bar to 85kg on her second attempt. She then delivered a sensational 88kg lift, breaking the Commonwealth Games record in the category and putting pressure on Didih.
The Nigerian lifter, however, responded with a record-breaking 93kg snatch to take the lead heading into the clean and jerk. The gold medal fight continued as both young athletes showcased strong strength and technique.
Gyaneshwari opened the clean and jerk round with a powerful 103kg lift, taking her total to 191kg and setting another Games record. She followed it up with a 107kg lift, once again improving the mark and reducing the gap with Didih.
With the gold medal still within reach, Gyaneshwari attempted 111kg in her final lift and successfully completed it, finishing with a total of 199kg. The lift earned her another Games and Commonwealth record, but Didih responded with a stunning 113kg effort to seal the gold medal for Nigeria with 206kg total.
Canada's Rebeka Groulx earned the bronze medal with a 178kg total lift.
Though Gyaneshwari missed the top spot, her silver medal marked a significant milestone in her career. The Chhattisgarh athlete had earlier competed in the 49kg category but moved up to 53kg, recognising the challenge of competing against India's Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu in the lower weight division.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Incredible to see a young athlete from a small state shine on the world stage. I only wish the media would cover our sportspersons more—people barely knew her name before this. Anyway, silver is brilliant, especially against a strong Nigerian lifter.
She gave Didih a real fight! That 111kg clean and jerk was pure guts. Imagine if she had started at 53kg earlier—maybe she could have challenged for gold. Still, a silver medal is a big achievement. Hope the government supports her properly for future Games.
Great effort, but let's be honest—we missed gold again in weightlifting. Our athletes are talented, but we need better coaching and infrastructure at the grassroots level. Chhattisgarh producing a world-class lifter is amazing, but one athlete can't carry the whole system.
So happy for Gyaneshwari! She's outshone many more hyped athletes. The way she broke the record multiple times was thrilling to watch. This is what Indian sports needs—dedication and heart. Silver feels like gold today! 🌟
Brilliant performance, but my only concern is: why do we keep losing close contests to Nigeria? They're clearly ahead in weightlifting. We need to learn from their system. Nevertheless, Gyaneshwari deserves all the praise—she was phenomenal under pressure.
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