Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji has revealed the online harassment and sexualisation she encountered following her performance at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships, describing the treatment as a clear example of sexism.
“I think it was just sexism at its finest. I don’t think I can put it any other way. The way I was treated – men would never have to face this, like after winning a championship or something like that; a male athlete never has to face something like this. Most of the conversation revolved around my appearance. All people would talk about was my appearance, and I think that really bothered me because I had accomplished something so big for myself and I had done something so big in my sport,” Banerji told ANI.
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The 21-year-old gained recognition after lifting 140kg in the deadlift in the Junior Women’s 47kg category at the championships held in Sun City, South Africa. This lift was more than three times her competition bodyweight of 45.70kg and secured her a silver medal in the individual deadlift event.
However, the social media attention following her achievement quickly turned uncomfortable, with Banerji facing fake accounts, inappropriate use of her images and thousands of unauthorised AI-generated manipulated images featuring her likeness.
Reflecting on the experience, Banerji said the sudden attention was challenging but expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss her sporting journey. “In fact, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be talking to news channels because it gives me the opportunity to actually talk about my passion for the sport and my journey progressing my numbers, etc. So, I’m over it. I’m definitely over it. But it was a little bit hard in the middle,” she said.
On the field, Banerji delivered a performance that established her among India’s promising young powerlifters. Along with her 140kg deadlift, she recorded a 90kg squat and a 50kg bench press for a total of 280kg, finishing fifth overall in the Junior Women’s 47kg category.
France’s Ines Herbaux won the deadlift gold with a 165kg lift, while Ireland’s Blathnaid O’Dwyer also lifted 140kg. Banerji therefore finished second in the individual deadlift standings.
Banerji’s journey into powerlifting began without initial plans of competing professionally. She started training at a gym for personal fulfilment and health before being introduced to the sport by a friend who was a world-level powerlifting coach and had won a gold medal for India.
“When I was first starting out, I just started going to the gym for a sense of personal fulfilment and just taking care of my health, etc. But I had a friend who was a powerlifting coach and was also competing at a world level. He has also won a gold medal for the country. So, I felt extremely inspired and felt very curious about how this works,” she said.
Her curiosity eventually developed into competitive ambition as her numbers improved across the squat, bench press and deadlift.
Banerji also emphasised the technical demands of powerlifting, noting that competing requires more than the ability to lift heavy weights. “There are rules, making sure that your lift matches the commands of the referee, making sure that once you’ve picked up, for instance, once you’ve completed your deadlift, you can’t just leave the bar. You can only put it down once the referee asks you to put it down. So, there are a lot of, it’s a very technical sport. There are a lot of things that go into it,” she said.
Despite the unwanted attention, Banerji remains focused on the sport that has had a significant impact on her life. “My sport is something that really helped me in my life. During my college times, I used to look forward to training. Sometimes I would have to train at night, sometimes I would have to skip classes to train, but it’s something that never really bothered me. It’s always something I really enjoyed,” the powerlifter said.
Banerji recently graduated from Ashoka University with a BSc in Psychology and is considering pursuing an MBA, but her current focus remains on advancing her powerlifting career following a landmark international campaign.
