Asian Games 2026: Weightlifting Gyaneshwari hopes to replicate CWG success

Commonwealth Games silver medallist weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav is hoping to carry her Glasgow experience into this month's Asian Games, where she has set her sights on bettering her personal best.

The 23-year-old from Chhattisgarh produced personal bests in both the snatch and clean and jerk for a total of 199kg (88kg+111kg) that handed her a silver medal in the 53kg category at the Glasgow Games in July.

"The preparation is going good. I want to get my personal best there. I had given my personal best of 199kg at the Commonwealth Games and I will try and improve on that.

"We haven't got a lot of time, just a month," Gyaneshwari said.

"I will try to improve in snatch. Even if I'm able to improve 1kg each in snatch and 1kg clean and jerk, it will be an achievement for me. For an athlete, getting a personal best is a huge thing."

Gyaneshwari, who is training at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala, also hopes to use the experience of competing at the Commonwealth Games to her advantage in Japan.

"The experience of CWG I will use in Asian Games," she said.

However, she will face stiff competition at the Asian Games, where traditional powerhouses such as China, South Korea and North Korea will be vying for the podium.

The Asian Games are scheduled to be held across Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19.

After the Asian Games, Gyaneshwari will face increased domestic competition in the 53kg category, as Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu, who currently competes in the 48kg-49kg category, is set to move up to 53kg, which is the starting weight for women at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Asian Championships silver medallist Bindyarani Devi has also said she will drop down to 53kg after winning the 58kg bronze at the Commonwealth Games in July.

However, Gyaneshwari, who won the 53kg bronze at the Asian Championships earlier this year, remains unfazed by the increased competition.

"I started (weightlifting) seeing Mira didi and now she is saying she will come to 53kg. I will give my 100 per cent and put in all my effort. Baaki competition toh chalta hi hai," she said.

Gyaneshwari has grown increasingly comfortable in the 53kg category after initially struggling to maintain her weight.

"I am pretty comfortable in this weight category now. Initially I had weight issues but now I am comfortable. I have been competing in this weight category for 1-1.5 years now," she said.

Mirabai has also been a source of inspiration for Gyaneshwari, who trained alongside the former world champion at a camp in Birmingham ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

"In Birmingham, I saw her technique, how she's lifting. We observe all of that and learn from it. Her discipline, hard work and dedication have led her to such a stage. So we learn from that," she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed.)