NEW DELHI: Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji had each cause to count on consideration after producing one of many standout performances of her younger profession. As a substitute, the 21-year-old discovered herself confronting an uncomfortable facet of on-line fame after her 140kg deadlift and World Championship silver medal went viral.Banerji’s breakthrough got here on the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Basic Powerlifting Championships in Solar Metropolis, South Africa, the place she competed within the Junior Girls’s 47kg class. Weighing 45.70kg, she pulled 140kg within the deadlift — greater than 3 times her competitors body weight — to complete second within the particular person deadlift occasion and win a silver medal.However because the clip of her elevate unfold throughout social media, a lot of the dialog round her achievement shifted away from powerlifting. Banerji stated she was subjected to trolling, pretend accounts, misuse of her photographs and 1000’s of unauthorised AI-generated manipulated photographs utilizing her likeness.For the younger athlete, the expertise was not merely about disagreeable feedback. She noticed it as a stark instance of the sexism girls athletes proceed to come across when their achievements entice a big on-line viewers.ALSO READ: Keyaa Banerji lifted 140kg and went viral. Then came thousands of AI images, fake accounts and online abuse — why she created a new Instagram account“I feel it was simply sexism at its best. I do not suppose I can put it another means. The way in which I used to be handled – males would by no means must face this, like after successful a championship or one thing like that; a male athlete by no means has to face one thing like this,” Banerji informed ANI.“Many of the dialog revolved round my look. All folks would discuss was my look, and I feel that actually bothered me as a result of I had achieved one thing so huge for myself and I had achieved one thing so huge in my sport,” she added.
A medal, a viral elevate and an uncomfortable highlight
The irony was not misplaced on Banerji. The elevate that drew widespread consideration was itself the product of years of labor and a sport that she has come to deeply take pleasure in.On the World Championships, Banerji additionally recorded a 90kg squat and a 50kg bench press, ending with a 280kg whole and putting fifth general within the Junior Girls’s 47kg class. France’s Ines Herbaux received the person deadlift gold with 165kg, whereas Eire’s Blathnaid O’Dwyer additionally lifted 140kg.Banerji, nevertheless, had arrived on the competitors with ambitions that went past merely making the rostrum.“I feel initially it’s a nice feeling. As soon as it got here out on social media, I did get slightly bit overwhelmed. There was some unfavourable consideration, however I wish to keep away from speaking about that an excessive amount of. I’m very happy with myself and really pleased with my accomplishment. I’ve been working in direction of this for 2 years,” she stated.The silver medal itself had not been a part of her authentic expectations.“This silver medal was one thing I wasn’t anticipating initially. I used to be simply pleased to be current on the World Championship as a result of powerlifting is a long-term sport. I do have plans of ultimately successful a World Championship and getting a gold again for the nation,” Banerji stated.“It began with me considering that this World Championship is one thing I’ll attend only for expertise. The truth that I ended up placing such a great quantity up and successful a medal was simply completely unbelievable,” she added.The 140kg deadlift turned the defining second of her marketing campaign, however Banerji’s personal evaluation of the elevate was extra measured. She defined that competition-day performances can differ significantly from what an athlete manages in coaching.“Competitors day numbers and coaching numbers aren’t at all times the identical. Performing as an athlete on competitors day could be very totally different from what you do in coaching. In powerlifting, we normally attempt to hit maxes in competitors,” she stated.“Though my consequence labored out in a means that I received a silver medal, as an athlete, the planning that my coach and I had achieved, 140 kg was on the decrease finish of the vary for what we had been planning to hit that day,” she added.
‘I used to be aiming to interrupt the Asian document’
In coaching, Banerji had already gone past that mark.“In coaching, I’ve hit round 147.5 kg and 150 kg a number of occasions. 147.5 kg can also be the Asian document. So, my very best day would have been breaking the Asian document on stage. I used to be slightly disheartened that I wasn’t in a position to do this,” she stated.The 140kg elevate was solely her second deadlift try. She subsequently went for 142.5kg however couldn’t full it.“140 kg wasn’t my third deadlift; it was my second deadlift. It moved slightly bit slower than anticipated in comparison with the way it strikes in coaching. So, I took a smaller soar of 142.5 after that, and I failed that elevate. It wasn’t a super day, however issues labored out,” she stated.
‘It’s at all times one thing I actually loved’
Whereas the web consideration was troublesome, Banerji doesn’t need the trolling to outline the story of her World Championship marketing campaign.“In truth, I am actually grateful for the chance to be speaking to information channels as a result of it provides me the chance to really discuss my ardour for the game and my journey progressing my numbers, and so forth. So, I am over it. I am positively over it. Nevertheless it was slightly bit exhausting within the center,” she stated.That keenness dates again to when powerlifting was not even a part of her plans.“Once I was first beginning out, I simply began going to the health club for a way of non-public fulfilment and simply taking good care of my well being, and so forth. However I had a buddy who was a powerlifting coach and was additionally competing at a world stage. He has additionally received a gold medal for the nation. So, I felt extraordinarily impressed and felt very interested in how this works,” she stated.That curiosity ultimately turned aggressive ambition as her numbers improved within the squat, bench press and deadlift.
Extra than simply lifting heavy weights
Banerji additionally burdened that powerlifting is a extremely technical self-discipline, opposite to the simplistic notion that it’s merely about lifting as a lot weight as attainable.“There are guidelines, ensuring that your elevate matches the instructions of the referee, ensuring that when you’ve got picked up, as an illustration, as soon as you’ve got accomplished your deadlift, you possibly can’t simply depart the bar. You may solely put it down as soon as the referee asks you to place it down. So, there are quite a lot of, it is a very technical sport. There are quite a lot of issues that go into it,” she stated.For Banerji, the game has additionally been a relentless by means of an necessary interval of her life.“My sport is one thing that actually helped me in my life. Throughout my faculty occasions, I used to sit up for coaching. Typically I must practice at night time, generally I must skip courses to coach, however it’s one thing that by no means actually bothered me. It is at all times one thing I actually loved,” she stated.
Wanting past the web noise
Her development is mirrored in her numbers. On the 2025 Nationwide Championship, she lifted 82.5kg within the squat, 47.5kg within the bench press and 127.5kg within the deadlift for a 257.5kg whole. She later improved to 95kg within the squat, 52.5kg within the bench press and 140kg within the deadlift, taking her whole to 287.5kg.The World Championship due to this fact represented one other important step, even when her personal evaluation suggests there’s significantly extra to come back.“I am unable to clarify it, and I’m overwhelmed. I used to be very pleased to simply be there. To be at that World Championship, meet my rivals, see the women that I used to look as much as round me and compete in the identical competitors — it was an unreal feeling,” she stated.Banerji, who lately graduated from Ashoka College with a BSc in Psychology, is contemplating pursuing an MBA. However her rapid sporting ambition stays clear: proceed enhancing her numbers and ultimately win a World Championship gold for India.The undesirable on-line consideration could have turn out to be a part of her story, however it isn’t what Banerji desires to be remembered for.
