Silver on debut: Chhattisgarh’s Gyaneshwari wins India’s fourth weightlifting medal

Debutant Gyaneshwari Yadav on Monday displayed clinical poise and technical authority to secure silver in the women’s 53kg category, continuing India’s impressive weightlifting run at the Commonwealth Games. Update

The 23-year-old from Chhattisgarh produced a career-best overall performance of 199kg to push Nigeria’s Onome Omolola Didiha to the limit in a thrilling contest for the gold. Didih eventually came out on top with a Commonwealth Games record total of 206kg, while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx took bronze with 178kg.

Gyaneshwari Yadav’s triumph opened India’s medal tally on day three and represented the country’s fourth weightlifting medal of the Games. Her success follows a stellar opening Sunday that produced results gold for Mirabai Chana alongside silver medals for Rishikanta Singh and Muthupandi Raja of Tamil Nadu.

Undaunted by the magnitude of her Commonwealth debut, Gyaneshwari Yadav went toe-to-toe with Didih in a contest where the pair operated at their own level. The Indian equaled her personal best in the snatch with an unblemished performance of 88kg, leaving her well clear of the chasing pack at the break. Screengrab from SonyLiv

However, it was on the flats where Gyaneshwari Yadav displayed remarkable tactical maturity that marked her rise through the national ranks. Starting at 103kg, she smoothly progressed through 107kg before lifting a lifetime best of 111kg in her final attempt, bettering her previous personal best in the event by six kilograms.

Each successful lift temporarily set new Commonwealth Games records, forcing Didih to respond with a final Games and area record lift of 113kg to secure the gold. Screenshot from Glasgow 2026

Gyaneshwari Yadav’s podium finish with an unshakeable smile during a high-stakes exchange completes a methodical trajectory from domestic phenomenon to international elite. She trained at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NS NIS) in Patiala and first announced her potential on the global stage by winning silver at the 2022 IWF World Junior Championships in Greece.

Recently, Gynaneshwari Yadav proved her senior pedigree at the 2026 Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar where she won silver and overall bronze with a total of 194 kg. This performance earned her the top spot among eligible Commonwealth lifters heading into Glasgow.

Gyaneshwari Yadav, Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Chhattisgarh Police and recipient of the state’s prestigious Gundadhur Samman award, has firmly established herself in Scotland as one of the standouts in Indian sport heading into the rest of the Olympic cycle.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

27 Jul 2026 19:51 IST