Keyaa Banerji
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian | ||||||||||||||
| Born | Keyaa Kunal Banerji 16 February 2005 | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Powerlifting | ||||||||||||||
Event | Junior Women's 47 kg | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Keyaa Kunal Banerji (born 16 February 2005[1]) is an Indian powerlifter who competes internationally in the Junior Women's 47 kg weight category. She won a silver medal in the deadlift discipline at the 2026 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Sub-Junior and Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa, deadlifting 140 kg—more than three times her body weight.
Career
[edit]Domestic competitions (2025–2026)
[edit]Banerji made rapid progress in the domestic Indian powerlifting circuit across 2025 and 2026. At the 2025 National Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships, competing in the Junior 47 kg class, she logged an 82.5 kg squat, a 47.5 kg bench press, and a 127.5 kg deadlift, finishing with a total of 257.5 kg.[2]
At the 2026 National Championship, Banerji substantially increased her performance marks, recording a 95 kg squat, a 52.5 kg bench press, and a 140 kg deadlift to finish with a combined total of 287.5 kg.[3] That same year, she also earned a silver medal in the women's 47 kg division at the National Classic Bench Press Championship with a 47.5 kg press.[2]
2026 IPF World Junior Championships
[edit]In August 2026, Banerji represented India at the IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa, entered in the Junior Women's 47 kg division.[4]
Weighing in at 45.70 kg, Banerji posted a 90 kg squat and a 50 kg bench press.[5] In the deadlift, she completed an opening lift followed by a successful 140 kg second attempt, representing approximately 3.06 times her body weight.[3] A subsequent third attempt at 142.5 kg was unsuccessful.[6]
Banerji finished second in the deadlift event behind Inès Herbaux of France (165 kg) and ahead of Ireland's Bláthnaid O'Dwyer (who also registered 140 kg, but was placed behind Banerji on body weight/attempt order criteria), securing the individual deadlift silver medal.[4][5] She placed fifth overall in the 47 kg classification with a 280 kg three-lift total.[2]
Media attention
[edit]Video footage of Banerji's 140 kg deadlift spread widely across social media platforms following the event, bringing unusual mainstream visibility in India to competitive powerlifting.[4][3] In post-competition interviews, Banerji stated that while she had targeted the junior Asian record of 147.5 kg, she was proud of securing a world-championship podium finish.[6] The viral attention also spurred broader discussions regarding the online reception and treatment of Indian female strength athletes.[4][6]
Competition record
[edit]| Year | Competition | Venue | Weight class | Body weight | Squat | Bench press | Deadlift | Total | Overall rank | Event medals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | National Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Championships | India | 47 kg | — | 82.5 kg | 47.5 kg | 127.5 kg | 257.5 kg | — | — |
| 2026 | National Classic Championships | India | 47 kg | — | 95.0 kg | 52.5 kg | 140.0 kg | 287.5 kg | — | — |
| 2026 | IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Championships | Sun City, South Africa | 47 kg | 45.70 kg | 90.0 kg | 50.0 kg | 140.0 kg | 280.0 kg | 5th |  Deadlift |
References
[edit]- ↑ "India's Keyaa Banerji Lifts 140 Kg, Wins Deadlift Silver At IPF Junior World Championships - The Logical Indian". thelogicalindian.com. 2026-09-01. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
- 1 2 3 "Keyaa Banerji makes India proud: 21-year-old powerlifter lifts over 3x her body weight to win silver at IPF World Championships". The Economic Times. 2 September 2026. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Singh, Hijam Raju (3 September 2026). "Viral 140kg deadlift: Who is 21-year-old Keyaa Kunal Banerji who lifted over 3 times her body weight for World Championships silver?". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Sharma, Nootan (3 September 2026). "Indian powerlifter Keyaa Banerji wins silver in deadlift at Junior World Championships". ThePrint. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 Roy, Vishesh (4 September 2026). "Who is Keyaa Banerji? Indian powerlifter who lifted three times her body weight to win silver at IPF Championships". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Singh, Vivek Prabhakar (6 September 2026). ""This silver medal was something I wasn't expecting": Powerlifter Keyaa Banerji on World Junior Championship success". Asian News International. Retrieved 9 September 2026.