India has a new name to watch in the powerlifting world. Kiya Banerjee, a 21-year-old athlete weighing just 45.70 kilograms, stunned onlookers by hoisting almost three times her own bodyweight off the floor. And she did it not in a routine local meet, but on a world championship stage.
A Silver Medal in Sun City
The IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Classic Powerlifting Championship was held in Sun City, South Africa, where Banerjee competed in the 47-kilogram weight category. In the individual deadlift event, she pulled 140 kilograms off the platform to claim the silver medal. What makes the lift remarkable is that her own bodyweight is less than a third of that number, a gap that says as much about her technique as it does about raw strength.
Strength Across Every Lift
Banerjee's showing wasn't limited to the deadlift alone. She squatted 90 kilograms and followed it up with a 50-kilogram bench press, rounding out a complete performance across all three disciplines. In powerlifting, a competitor's overall placing is typically decided by adding up the numbers from the squat, the bench press and the deadlift together. For Banerjee, that combined total came to 280 kilograms, the tally that ultimately earned her the silver medal in her category.
Who Is Kiya Banerjee
At 21, Kiya Banerjee is among the small pool of young Indian athletes who have already carved out a name for themselves in strength sports at such an early age. Years of rigorous training and strict discipline have brought her multiple medals at the national level, and she has now backed that up with a podium finish on the international stage. A result like this in the sub-junior and junior categories suggests there is more to come from her in the years ahead.
An Example for Young Women in Sport
Banerjee's feat stands out as an example for young women hoping to break into heavy-lifting sports that have long carried a male-dominated image. With every competition, athletes like her chip away at that old perception. Her journey makes a simple case: sustained effort, sound technique and a determined mindset can take an athlete a long way, no matter their starting size.
