Glasgow, July 28 (IANS) India’s Harjinder Kaur added another medal to the country’s tally at the Commonwealth Games 2026, clinching the silver medal in the women’s 69kg weightlifting competition on Tuesday.

Harjinder registered a combined lift of 227kg, opening with 101kg in the snatch before producing a best effort of 126kg in the clean and jerk.

Canada’s Charlotte Simoneau claimed the gold medal with a total lift of 240kg (108kg snatch + 132kg clean and jerk), while Australia’s Nya Phebe Hayman secured the bronze with 218kg.

Harjinder stayed in medal contention throughout the competition and sealed second place with a successful 126kg lift in her final clean and jerk attempt, ensuring India another podium finish in Glasgow.

The silver further strengthens India’s medal haul in weightlifting, a discipline that has consistently delivered success for the country at the Commonwealth Games. Harjinder’s composed performance and consistent lifts under pressure once again highlighted India’s depth in the sport.

This is the seventh medal for India in weightlifting, with one gold, five silver and one bronze medal. Mirabai Chanu has won the gold medal for India in the women’s 49 kg. Rishikanta Singh Chanambam, Raja Muthupandi, Valluri Ajaya Babu, Gyaneshwari Yadav and Harjinder Kaur bagged silver medals while Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam claimed the lone bronze so far.

Born on October 14, 1996, into a modest, landless farming family in Mehas village near Nabha in Punjab, Harjinder Kaur grew up in a single-room house. She faced severe financial constraints, as her father struggled to afford basic training expenses.

Despite these hurdles, her rural upbringing laid the foundation for her athletic success. For hours each day, she manually operated a heavy chaff-cutting machine (toka) to prepare cattle fodder. This gruelling manual labour unintentionally built exceptional upper-body strength and muscular power, which later became her biggest asset on the lifting platform.

Her sporting journey began late and unexpectedly. Harjinder was initially a passionate Kabaddi player, training as a raider and even cycling five kilometres daily just to practice. It was only in 2016, at the age of 20, that her life changed at Punjabi University in Patiala.

–IANS

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