‘Men should never have to face this’: Keyaa Banerji calls out sexism after viral 140kg deadlift and World Championship silver

21-year-old Keyaa Banerji (Image source: NEW DELHI: Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji had every reason to expect attention after she produced one of the standout performances of her young career. Instead, the 21-year-old found herself facing the unpleasant side of online fame after her 140kg deadlift and World Championship silver medal went viral.Banerji’s breakthrough came at the 2026 World Sub-Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa, where she competed in the junior women’s 47 kg category. Weighing in at 45.70kg, she deadlifted 140kg – more than three times her competition bodyweight – to finish second in the individual deadlift, winning a silver medal.But as a clip of her lift spread across social media, much of the conversation about her success shifted away from powerlifting. Banerji said she was subjected to trolling, fake accounts, misuse of her images and thousands of unauthorized manipulated images generated by artificial intelligence using her likeness.It wasn’t just unpleasant comments for the young athlete. She saw it as a clear example of the sexism female athletes continue to face when their achievements attract large online audiences.READ ALSO: Keyaa Banerji lifted 140 kg and went viral. Then came thousands of AI pictures, fake accounts and online abuse – why she made a new Instagram account“I think it was just sexism at its best. I don’t think I can put it any other way. The way I was treated – men would never have to face that, like winning a championship or something like that; a male athlete never has to face something like that,” Banerji told ANI.“Most of the conversations revolved around my looks. All people would talk about was my looks and I think it really bothered me because I had done so much for myself and I had done so much in my sport,” she added.

Medals, a viral lift and an uncomfortable spotlight

The irony was not lost on Banerji. The lift, which attracted widespread attention, was itself a product of years of work and a sport she had come to enjoy deeply.At the World Championships, Banerji also recorded a squat of 90 kg and a bench press of 50 kg, finishing with a total of 280 kg and placing fifth overall in the junior women’s 47 kg category. France’s Ines Herbaux won individual deadlift gold with 165kg, while Ireland’s Blathnaid O’Dwyer also lifted 140kg.Banerji, however, came to the competition with ambitions that went beyond just finishing on the podium.“I think it’s a great feeling at first. Once it came out on social media, I was a bit overwhelmed. There was some negative attention, but I don’t want to talk too much about it. I’m very proud of myself and I’m very happy with my success. I’ve been working on this for two years,” she said.The silver medal itself was not part of her initial expectations.“This silver medal was something I didn’t expect initially. I was just happy to be present at the World Championships as powerlifting is a long-term sport. I plan to eventually win the World Championships and win gold for the country,” said Banerji.“It started with me thinking that this world championship was something I would do just for the experience. The fact that I ended up putting in such a good number and getting a medal was absolutely incredible,” she added.The 140kg deadlift became the defining moment of her campaign, but Banerji’s own assessment of the lift was more measured. She explained that performance on competition day can differ greatly from what an athlete manages in training.“Competition day numbers and training numbers are not always the same. Performance as an athlete on competition day is very different from what you do in training. In powerlifting, we’re usually trying to max out in competition,” she said.“Although my result turned out to be that I won a silver medal, as an athlete my coach and I planned, 140 kg was at the lower end of what we planned to hit that day,” she added.

“I wanted to break the Asian record”

Banerji has already crossed this line in training.“I hit around 147.5kg and 150kg a few times in training. 147.5kg is also an Asian record. So my ideal day would be to break the Asian record on stage. I was a bit disheartened that I wasn’t able to do that,” she said.The 140kg lift was only her second deadlift attempt. She subsequently went for 142.5kg but was unable to finish.“140kg wasn’t my third deadlift; it was my second deadlift. It was moving a little slower than expected compared to how it moves in training. So then I did a smaller jump of 142.5 and I didn’t get the lift. It wasn’t an ideal day, but things worked out,” she said.

‘I’ve always really enjoyed it’

While online attention has been difficult, Banerji doesn’t want trolling to define the narrative of her World Cup campaign.“I’m actually really grateful for the opportunity to talk to the news outlets because it gives me an opportunity to really talk about my passion for the sport and my journey to progress my numbers and so on. So I’m over it. I’m definitely over it. But it was a little tough in the middle,” she said.This passion dates back to a time when powerlifting wasn’t even part of her plans.“When I first started, I started going to the gym for a sense of personal fulfillment and just looking after my health etc. But I had a friend who was a powerlifting coach and also competed at the world level. He also won a gold medal for this country. I felt extremely inspired and was very curious about how it worked,” she said.That curiosity eventually turned into a competitive ambition as her numbers improved in the squat, bench press and deadlift.

More than just lifting heavy weights

Banerji also emphasized that powerlifting is a highly technical discipline, contrary to the simplistic perception that it’s just about lifting as much weight as possible.“There are rules to make sure that your lift follows the referee’s commands, to make sure that once you lift, like when you finish your deadlift, you can’t just leave the bar. You can only put it down if the referee asks you to put it down. So there’s a lot of it, it’s a very technical sport. There’s a lot that goes into it,” she said.For Banerji, the sport was also a fixture during an important period in her life.“My sport is something that has really helped me in my life. When I was in college, I looked forward to training. Sometimes I had to train at night, sometimes I had to skip classes to train, but it’s something that never really bothered me. I always really enjoyed it,” she said.

Looking beyond the online noise

Her progress is reflected in her numbers. At the 2025 National Championships, she squatted 82.5 kg, bench pressed 47.5 kg and deadlifted 127.5 kg for a total of 257.5 kg. She later improved to 95kg in the squat, 52.5kg in the bench press and 140kg in the deadlift, bringing her total to 287.5kg.The World Cup thus represented another significant step, although her own assessment suggests that there is much more to come.“I can’t explain it and I’m devastated. I was so happy to be there. To be at the World Championships, to meet my competitors, to see girls I looked up to around me and compete in the same competition — it was an amazing feeling,” she said.Banerji, who recently graduated from Ashoka University with a BSc in Psychology, is considering pursuing an MBA. But her immediate sporting ambitions remain clear: to continue to improve her numbers and eventually win a World Cup gold for India.Unwanted online attention may have become part of her story, but it’s not what Banerji wants to be remembered for.