Gyaneshwari Yadav delivered an impressive performance at the Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026 in Gandhinagar, winning a silver medal in the snatch category and a bronze medal in the overall standings of the women’s 53kg event.
The championships, being held at the Mahatma Mandir and Exhibition Centre since May 11, have attracted 178 athletes from 28 Asian countries and two Commonwealth nations. The event also serves as a qualification tournament for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
In the closely contested women’s 53kg category, Jinlan Zhao of China won the gold medal with a total lift of 216kg. Hoai Huong Nguyen of Vietnam secured the overall silver medal with 195kg, while Gyaneshwari Yadav finished third with a total lift of 194kg, missing the silver position by just one kilogram.
Yadav earned the silver medal in the snatch segment with a best lift of 88kg, behind Zhao’s 95kg effort.
In the clean and jerk category, Zhao continued her dominance with a lift of 121kg, while Nguyen lifted 108kg to maintain her second-place finish overall.
The competition saw all three medal positions decided by narrow margins, highlighting the high level of competition in the category.
Reacting to Yadav’s achievement, Ashwani Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, said the performance reflected India’s improving standards at the continental level.
“Gyaneshwari’s performance shows India’s growing competitiveness in Asian weightlifting. The narrow margins indicate that we are steadily closing the gap with the top athletes in the continent,” he said.
The federation congratulated Yadav and the Indian contingent, expressing confidence that more medals could follow as the championship progresses.
Officials added that athletes across categories have been preparing according to international standards, with several medal opportunities still remaining in the tournament.