‘Sexism at its finest’: Powerlifter Keyaa Banerji opens up on online harassment after World Championships silver

BHOPAL: Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji has opened up about the online harassment and sexualisation she faced after her breakthrough performance at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships, saying the treatment she received was a stark example of sexism.

“I think it was just sexism at its finest. I don’t think I can put it any other way. The way I was treated – men would never have to face this, like after winning a championship or something like that; a male athlete never has to face something like this. Most of the conversation revolved around my appearance. All people would talk about was my appearance, and I think that really bothered me because I had accomplished something so big for myself and I had done something so big in my sport,” Banerji said.

The 21-year-old rose to sudden prominence after lifting 140kg in the deadlift in the Junior Women’s 47kg category at the championships in Sun City, South Africa. Her lift was more than three times her competition bodyweight of 45.70kg and earned her a silver medal in the individual deadlift event.

#WATCH | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: On winning a silver medal at the IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic and Equipped Powerlifting Championships, powerlifter Keyaa Banerji says, “…Performing as an athlete on competition day is very different from what you do in training. In… pic.twitter.com/eSZhIF9DNs

— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2026

However, the attention that followed her achievement on social media quickly took an uncomfortable turn, with Banerji facing fake accounts, misuse of her images and thousands of unauthorised AI-generated manipulated images using her likeness.

Reflecting on the experience, Banerji said the sudden attention was difficult to deal with but also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to speak about her sporting journey.

“In fact, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be talking to news channels because it gives me the opportunity to actually talk about my passion for the sport and my journey progressing my numbers, etc. So, I’m over it. I’m definitely over it. But it was a little bit hard in the middle,” she said.

Indian powerlifter Keyaa Banerji calls out online backlash over her ethnicity after silver medal win

Dubbed ‘the most beautiful powerlifter’, she also faced sexual harassment, non-consensual AI images, and impersonator accounts

‘I just wanted to share this accomplishment’ https://t.co/G3SKIuduEm pic.twitter.com/NpnVEmqktD

— RT (@RT_com) September 4, 2026

On the field, Banerji delivered a performance that established her among India’s promising young powerlifters. Along with her 140kg deadlift, she recorded a 90kg squat and a 50kg bench press for a total of 280kg, finishing fifth overall in the Junior Women’s 47kg category.

France’s Ines Herbaux won the deadlift gold with a 165kg lift, while Ireland’s Blathnaid O’Dwyer also lifted 140kg. Banerji therefore finished second in the individual deadlift standings.

Banerji’s journey into powerlifting began without any initial plans of competing professionally. She started training at a gym for personal fulfilment and health before being introduced to the sport by a friend who was a world-level powerlifting coach and had also won a gold medal for India.

“When I was first starting out, I just started going to the gym for a sense of personal fulfilment and just taking care of my health, etc. But I had a friend who was a powerlifting coach and was also competing at a world level. He has also won a gold medal for the country. So, I felt extremely inspired and felt very curious about how this works,” she said.

#WATCH | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: On balancing academics, training, and recent achievements, powerlifter Keyaa Banerji says, “…I have been considering getting a master’s degree for sure, and that is still something in the works. But in college, I was the crazy girl who would go… pic.twitter.com/28hoPqY2CC

— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2026

Her curiosity eventually turned into competitive ambition as her numbers improved across the squat, bench press and deadlift. Banerji also highlighted the technical demands of powerlifting, saying competing requires much more than simply being able to lift heavy weights.

“There are rules, making sure that your lift matches the commands of the referee, making sure that once you’ve picked up, for instance, once you’ve completed your deadlift, you can’t just leave the bar. You can only put it down once the referee asks you to put it down. So, there are a lot of, it’s a very technical sport. There are a lot of things that go into it,” she said.

Despite the unwanted attention, Banerji remains firmly focused on the sport that has played a major role in her life. “My sport is something that really helped me in my life. During my college times, I used to look forward to training. Sometimes I would have to train at night, sometimes I would have to skip classes to train, but it’s something that never really bothered me. It’s always something I really enjoyed,” the young powerlifter said.

Banerji recently graduated from Ashoka University with a BSc in Psychology and is considering pursuing an MBA, but for now her focus remains on continuing her progress in powerlifting after a landmark international campaign. (ANI)