Sexism at Its Finest: Indian Powerlifter Calls Out Harassment After World Meet

When 21‑year‑old Keyaa Kunal Banerji stepped onto the platform in Sun City, South Africa, she wasn’t thinking about likes, memes or any of the chatter that would later flood her timeline. She was focused on the bar, the weight, and the quiet thud of the plates as she prepared to deadlift 140 kg – more than three times her own body weight.

The lift earned her a silver medal in the Junior Women’s 47 kg deadlift and helped her finish fifth overall in the competition. For a young athlete from India, that was a milestone worth celebrating. Yet, as soon as the results were posted, the conversation shifted from the numbers on the scoreboard to something far less flattering – her appearance.

“It felt like sexism at its finest,” Banerji told ANI, her voice a mix of frustration and resignation. “Men never have to deal with this. All I heard after the championship was people talking about how I looked, not what I lifted.” The comments weren’t limited to polite observations; they morphed into a barrage of fake accounts, AI‑generated images, and outright harassment that left the athlete feeling exposed.

She described the onslaught as “a little bit hard in the middle,” but also expressed gratitude for the platform it gave her to discuss her sport. “I’m over it now,” she said, “but the middle was rough.” The unwanted attention, she admitted, was a stark reminder that even in a sport built on strength, women still have to battle prejudice.

Banerji’s journey into powerlifting started simply – a gym for personal fitness, a friend who happened to be a world‑level coach and gold‑medalist for India, and a spark of curiosity. “I was just looking after my health, then a friend showed me what powerlifting could be,” she recalled. The curiosity soon turned into ambition as her numbers rose across the squat, bench press and deadlift.

Powerlifting, she emphasized, is more technical than many give it credit for. “You can’t just lift and drop the bar whenever you want,” she explained. “The referee’s commands, the exact positioning, the timing – it’s all part of the sport.” Her 90 kg squat, 50 kg bench press and the 140 kg deadlift combined for a total of 280 kg, underscoring her growing prowess.

Despite the digital storm, Banerji remains steadfast. She graduated from Ashoka University with a BSc in Psychology and is mulling an MBA, yet her heart still beats for the gym. “Training was something I looked forward to in college, even if it meant missing a class,” she said with a smile. “Powerlifting has helped shape my life, and I’m not going to let a few trolls change that.”

Looking ahead, Banerji hopes her story will shine a light on the deeper issue of gender bias in sports, and maybe, just maybe, shift the focus back to the weight on the bar rather than the weight of unwarranted commentary.