CWG 2026: Bindyarani Devi wins bronze in hard-fought women’s 58kg weightlifting final

India’s Bindyarani Devi added another medal to the country’s weightlifting as she won bronze in the women’s 58kg event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Monday. The Birmingham 2022 silver medalist adapted well to life in the higher weight category and finished with a total of 199kg (87kg in the grab and 112kg in the throw) to become a double Commonwealth Games medallist.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES, JULY 27: Update

Bindyarani, who won silver in the women’s 55kg category at Birmingham 2022, remained in medal contention throughout the competition after moving up to the 58kg division. She opened with 87kg in the clean before successfully lifting 112kg in her first clean attempt. The Indian then cleared 116kg in her final two attempts but failed to complete the lift and ended up with 199kg to secure the bronze.

Nigeria’s Rafiatu Folashade Lawal successfully defended her Commonwealth Games title with a Games record total of 229kg, finishing well outside the field. Canada’s Ann-Sophie Taschereau took silver with 215kg, while Bindyarani completed the podium with a total of 199kg.

WHO IS BINDYARANI DEVI?

Born in Imphal, Manipur on 27 January 1999, Bindyarani started her sporting journey in Taekwondo before switching to weightlifting in 2013. She trained at the Sports Authority of India’s North East Regional Center in Imphal, progressed to the National Center of Excellence and got a place at the National Camp in Patiala in 2019.

She made her mark by winning the IWLF Youth National Championships in 2016 before winning gold at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2019. In the same year, she won her first major international title at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships with a total lift of 183 kg. In 2021, she added silver at the Commonwealth Championships and pure gold at the World Weightlifting Championships in the women’s 55kg category.

Bindyarani’s breakthrough on the Commonwealth Games stage came in Birmingham in 2022. She lifted a Commonwealth Games record 116kg with a clean and jerk to finish with a total of 202kg to win silver in the women’s 55kg competition.

Her progress was interrupted by a knee injury in 2023, with problems with both knees affecting her training. She briefly returned to the non-Olympic 55 kg division during her recovery before moving back to the 58 kg division after regaining full fitness.

She made a strong comeback in 2025, breaking Mirabai Chan’s national record in the deadlift by lifting 88kg at the National Games, while also setting national records in the clean and deadlift. Later that year, she recorded a personal best of 206 kg (91 kg in the snatch and 115 kg in the throw) to win silver at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, earning her a place in the Indian team for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

27 Jul 2026 22:15 IST