Indian powerlifter Keyaa Banerji described winning the silver medal at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships as an “incredible” achievement and expressed pride in her performance while aiming to secure a gold medal in the future.
Banerji competed in the Junior Women’s 47kg category at the event held in Sun City, South Africa. The highlight of her campaign was a 140kg deadlift, an exceptional lift exceeding three times her body weight. Weighing 45.70kg, she garnered widespread social media attention for this accomplishment.
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Showing consistent progress, Banerji improved her lifts from the 2025 National Championship where she recorded a total of 257.5kg with lifts of 82.5kg in the squat, 47.5kg in bench press and 127.5kg in deadlift. At another 2025 National Championship later the same year, she achieved 95kg in the squat, 52.5kg in bench press and 140kg in deadlift, culminating in a 287.5kg total.
Speaking about her experience, the 21-year-old stated, “I think initially it is a great feeling. Once it came out on social media, I did get a little bit overwhelmed. There was some negative attention, but I would like to avoid talking about that too much. I am very proud of myself and very happy with my accomplishment. I have been working towards this for two years.”
She added that competing at the World Championship was a significant milestone and that winning the silver medal was an unexpected but welcome surprise.
“This silver medal was something I wasn’t expecting initially. I was just happy to be present at the World Championship because powerlifting is a long-term sport. I do have plans of eventually winning a World Championship and getting a gold back for the country,” Banerji said.
Initially focusing on gaining experience, she said, “It started with me thinking that this World Championship is something I’m going to attend just for experience. The fact that I ended up putting such a good number up and winning a medal was just absolutely incredible.”
Regarding her 140kg deadlift that secured her podium position, Banerji noted, “Competition day numbers and training numbers aren’t always the same. Performing as an athlete on competition day is very different from what you do in training. In powerlifting, we usually try to hit maxes in competition.” She added, “Although my result worked out in a way that I won a silver medal, as an athlete, the planning that my coach and I had done, 140 kg was on the lower end of the range for what we were planning to hit that day.”
Banerji revealed she had lifted heavier weights during training and had aimed to challenge the Asian record at the championship.
“In training, I have hit around 147.5 kg and 150 kg several times. 147.5 kg is also the Asian record. So, my ideal day would have been breaking the Asian record on stage. I was a little disheartened that I wasn’t able to do that,” she said.
She explained that after completing the 140kg lift, she attempted a heavier lift but was unsuccessful.
“140 kg wasn’t my third deadlift; it was my second deadlift. It moved a little bit slower than expected compared to how it moves in training. So, I took a smaller jump of 142.5 after that, and I failed that lift. It wasn’t an ideal day, but things worked out,” Banerji added.
Reflecting on her podium finish, she said, “I can’t explain it, and I am overwhelmed. I was very happy to just be there. To be at that World Championship, meet my competitors, see the girls that I used to look up to around me and compete in the same competition — it was an unreal feeling.”
