Harjinder Kaur upgrades CWG medal to silver as Indian weightlifters shine in Glasgow

Harjinder Kaur produced a career-best performance to win a silver medal in the women’s 69kg weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Tuesday, bettering the bronze she won in the 71kg category at the Birmingham Games four years ago.

Harjinder’s silver added to India’s impressive run in weightlifting as the contingent continued to establish itself as one of the strongest teams at the Commonwealth Games. Indian weightlifters have now collected seven medals so far in Glasgow, including one gold, five silver and one bronze.

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The Indian competitor broke her previous personal best with a total of 227kg to become the latest to add to India’s impressive weightlifting campaign, helping the country secure its seventh medal in the sport at the Glasgow Games. The 29-year-old recorded lifetime bests in both events, lifting 101kg in the clean and 126kg in the shot put, finishing second behind Canada’s Charlotte Simoneau.

It was a composed display from Harjinder who remained in medal contention throughout before producing her best ever clean and jerky stroke when it mattered most.

Harjinder set the stage with a personal best of 101kg in the clean and jerk, finishing second after the opening event. She broke the Commonwealth Games record twice, first clearing 99kg and then improving to 101kg with a confident final attempt.

In pitching, where she was traditionally stronger, the Indian woman did not fail. She comfortably cleared 120kg and 123kg and in her final attempt produced a superb 126kg, setting another personal best to take her total to 227kg. She also broke the Commonwealth Games clean and jerk record twice, first at 123kg and then again at 126kg, ensuring silverware was out of reach of the chasing pack.

Despite Harjinder’s outstanding efforts, Simoneau proved she was in a class by herself. The reigning world junior champion lived up to her reputation as an overwhelming favourite, dominating the competition with a Games record 108kg snatch and 132kg throw for a total of 240kg, also a new Commonwealth Games record. She capped off her campaign by comfortably clearing 127kg in her final clean attempt after already securing the gold medal, eventually finishing 13kg ahead of Harjinder.

The competition turned into a record-breaking contest, with both medalists repeatedly raising the bar. Harjinder’s Games records for grab, clean and jerk stood only briefly before Simoneau eclipsed them with her extraordinary lifts in each category.

WHO IS HARJINDER KAUR?

Born in Mehas village near Nabha in Punjab, Harjinder’s sporting journey began far away from the weightlifting platform. She played kabaddi and competed in tug-of-war before coach Parminder Sharma noticed her natural strength and encouraged her to take up weightlifting at Punjab University.

Her rise has not been without problems. Harjinder often spoke about the financial struggles her family faced during her formative years, with her father supporting her ambitions despite limited means. These sacrifices have since been repaid with a number of medals on the international stage.

Harjinder made her first appearance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham when she clean-slammed her way to claim bronze in the women’s 71kg category with a total of 212kg. Since moving to the 69 kg division, she has remained among India’s most consistent weightlifters, winning a bronze at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, finishing 14th at the World Championships and claiming a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships.

Her silver in Glasgow was another reminder of that consistency. By setting personal bests in both lifts and improving her total by five kilograms, Harjinder converted her Birmingham bronze into silver at the Commonwealth Games and added another medal to India’s impressive weightlifting campaign.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

Jul 29, 2026 01:18 IST