A daughter of an electrician Gyaneshwari Yadav continued India’s medal haul in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games as she clinched silver in the women’s 53 kgs category on Monday. In the snatch, lifting 88 kgs and 111 kgs in clean and jerk Gyaneshwari claimed the silver taking the total India medal count to five.
The 23 year old, athlete at the press briefing said, “My motive was to give my best. I am very proud of my efforts, which helped me secure a silver medal. Mirabai Chanu winning the gold medal motivated me a lot. Coaches supported me a lot.”
Gyaneshwari hails from Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. Her father who was also a body builder decided to quit following financial difficulties.Her campaign at the Commonwealth Games this year began with an impressive 82 kg lift before raising the bar to 85 on her second attempt. She later delivered a sensational 88 kg lift, breaking the Commonwealth records in the category and putting pressure on Didh. The Nigerian lifter, however, responded with another clinical performance, with a 93 kg snatch to take the lead heading into a clean and jerk. The gold medal fight continued as both young athletes showcased strong strength and technique. Ganeshwari opened the clean and jerk round with a powerful 103 kg lift, taking her total to 191 and setting up another record. She followed it up with a 107 kg lift, once again improving the mark and reducing the gap with Didh. While the gold medal still felt within reach, Ganeshwari attempted the 111 kg in her final lift and successfully completed it, finishing the total 199 kgs. The lift earned her another Games and a Commonwealth record, but Dith responded with a stunning 113 kg effort to take away the gold for Nigeria with 206 kg total.
She earlier took part in the IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championship in 2022, held in Greece, where she won the silver medal in the 49 kg category. Later in 2023, she won gold at Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship. She later added a silver to her collection at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship with a 175 kg total. Recognizing her achievements, the state government has appointed her as the assistant sub-inspector on the state police.