Glasgow, July 2026 : Indian weightlifter Harjinder Kaur continued the country’s impressive run at the Commonwealth Games 2026, clinching the silver medal in the women’s 69kg category on Tuesday. Her podium finish added another medal to India’s growing tally and reinforced the nation’s reputation as a powerhouse in Commonwealth weightlifting.
Harjinder registered a combined lift of 227kg, successfully lifting 101kg in the snatch before producing a best effort of 126kg in the clean and jerk. Her composed and consistent performance under pressure ensured she finished second in a highly competitive field.
Canada’s Charlotte Simoneau claimed the gold medal with a total lift of 240kg, comprising 108kg in the snatch and 132kg in the clean and jerk. Australia’s Nya Phebe Hayman secured the bronze medal with a combined lift of 218kg.
Harjinder remained firmly in contention throughout the event and sealed the silver medal with a successful final clean and jerk attempt of 126kg, edging clear of her rivals to give India another podium finish in Glasgow.
With Harjinder’s success, India’s weightlifting contingent has now won seven medals at the Games, including one gold, five silver and one bronze. Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu captured India’s lone gold in the women’s 49kg category. Rishikanta Singh Chanambam, Raja Muthupandi, Valluri Ajaya Babu, Gyaneshwari Yadav and Harjinder Kaur have won silver medals, while Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam claimed the bronze.
Harjinder’s journey to international success has been one of determination and perseverance. Born on October 14, 1996, in Mehas village near Nabha in Punjab, she grew up in a financially struggling family of landless farmers. The family lived in a single-room house, and her father often found it difficult to support her sporting ambitions.
Long before she stepped onto a weightlifting platform, Harjinder unknowingly built the physical strength that would define her career. She spent hours every day operating a manual chaff-cutting machine (toka) to prepare fodder for the family’s cattle. The physically demanding work developed exceptional upper-body strength and endurance, laying the foundation for her future in weightlifting.
Interestingly, Harjinder did not begin her sporting career as a weightlifter. She was initially passionate about Kabaddi and regularly cycled nearly five kilometres each day to attend training sessions as a raider. It was only in 2016, while studying at Punjabi University in Patiala, that she discovered weightlifting—a decision that transformed her life.
Since then, Harjinder has steadily risen through the ranks, overcoming financial hardships and personal challenges to establish herself among India’s leading weightlifters. Her silver medal in Glasgow is another milestone in an inspiring journey that reflects resilience, hard work and the growing strength of Indian weightlifting on the international stage.
