Sports News | Gyaneshwari's CWG 2026 Silver 'has Brought Happiness and Excitement,' Says Weightlifter's Father Deepak Yadav

Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 27 (ANI): Weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav's father Deepak Yadav expressed delight after his daughter clinched a silver medal in the women's 53kg category on her Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow on Monday.

Gyaneshwari's silver medal lifted India's tally to five medals, comprising one gold, three silvers and one bronze, adding to the country's strong showing at the Games.

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Speaking to ANI, Gyaneshwari's father, Deepak Yadav, expressed joy over her silver medal, saying her achievement had brought happiness not only to the family but also to people across Rajnandgaon and her native village of Bhodia.

"Gyaneshwari has won a silver medal, which has brought a lot of happiness and excitement. Children at home, people in the city, in Rajnandgaon, in the village of Bhodia, everyone is feeling happy," he said.

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Deepak said Gyaneshwari began training in Class 6 or 7, initially pursuing powerlifting before switching to weightlifting, where she went on to achieve success at national and international levels. He also highlighted the financial challenges the family faced in supporting her training and diet, including difficulties in arranging supplements, while acknowledging the support she received along the way.

"She started when she was in class 6 or 7. I used to take her for practice. She started with powerlifting. She won a gold medal and became the best lifter in Udaipur. After that, we decided that she should pursue weightlifting instead of powerlifting. She is continuously winning medals in national and international events and making the country proud, as well as her parents and everyone in the city," he said.

"There have been many financial problems regarding her diet. I had to work part-time for her. I had to buy some protein for her in installments. It was quite difficult to manage. Some people also helped her along the way, which made it easier for her to move forward," he added.

Deepak expressed hope that the government would provide Gyaneshwari with a suitable job position and stable income, enabling her to focus on training and compete at bigger events.

"I hope the government will provide her with a good post so that she can receive a good monthly salary. She can then invest that money in bigger games. This is my hope from the government," he said.

The 23-year-old from Chhattisgarh displayed remarkable composure and determination throughout the event, pushing the limits of her ability and setting multiple Games records in a hard-fought battle for the top spot, according to ESPN.

Gyaneshwari began her campaign in the snatch with an impressive 82kg lift before raising the bar to 85kg on her second attempt. She then delivered a sensational 88kg lift, breaking the Commonwealth Games record in the category and putting pressure on Nigeria's Onome Omolola Didih.

The Nigerian lifter, however, responded with a record-breaking 93kg snatch to take the lead heading into the clean and jerk. The gold medal fight continued as both young athletes showcased exceptional strength and technique.

Gyaneshwari opened the clean and jerk round with a powerful 103kg lift, taking her total to 191kg and setting another Games record. She followed it up with a 107kg lift, once again improving the mark and reducing the gap to Didih.

With the gold medal still within reach, Gyaneshwari attempted 111kg in her final lift and successfully completed it, finishing with a total of 199kg. The lift earned her another Games and Commonwealth record, but Didih responded with a stunning 113kg effort to seal the gold medal for Nigeria with 206kg total.

Despite missing out on the top spot, Gyaneshwari's silver medal marked a significant milestone in her career. The Chhattisgarh athlete had earlier competed in the 49kg category but moved up to 53kg, recognising the challenge of competing against India's Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu in the lower weight division. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)