Deadlift 140kg: Who is 21-year-old Kia Kunal Banerjee who lifted more than 3 times her body weight to claim silver at the World Championships? | More sports news
A viral video of a young Indian woman lifting an unusual weight off the floor has put powerlifting in the Indian sports conversation, with 21-year-old Kia Kunal Banerjee emerging as the unexpected face of the hype.Banerjee’s stunning 140kg lift at the 2026 IPF World Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships Classic in Sun City, South Africa, attracted attention not only because it earned her a silver medal, but because the lift was more than three times her competition bodyweight of 45.70kg.Social media users shared clips of the elevator congratulating Banerjee, and reactions ranged from admiration for her strength to comments about her appearance. More importantly, many users celebrated the fact that the weightlifting feat was sparking mainstream sports discussion in India.
Who is Kia Kunal Banerjee?
Banerjee is a 21-year-old Indian weightlifter who competes in the junior women’s 47 kg category. Her stunning performance came in a field where every kilo counts, with her bodyweight of 45.70kg making the size of her deadlift particularly eye-catching.She finished the tournament with a total of 280kg, including a 90kg squat, 50kg bench press, and 140kg deadlift.While she placed fifth in the 47kg junior category, Banerjee’s biggest success came in the individual deadlift event. Her 140kg effort placed her second behind France’s Ines Herbaud, who lifted 165kg.Ireland’s Blathnaid O’Dwyer also lifted 140kg, but Banerjee outperformed her in the deadlift standings to claim the silver medal.The result represents a significant improvement in Banerjee’s numbers over the past year. At the 2025 National Championships, she recorded a squat of 82.5kg, bench press of 47.5kg, and deadlift of 127.5kg for a total of 257.5kg.Her progress continued at the 2026 National Championships, where she recorded a squat of 95kg, bench press of 52.5kg, and deadlift of 140kg for a total of 287.5kg.So lifting 140kg in South Africa was not an isolated achievement. It was the latest step in a rapidly improving career.
Banerjee is not India’s only standout performer, Madhura Kar has won four gold medals
While Banerjee’s success has generated a lot of buzz on social media, India have produced several noteworthy performances in the tournament.The standout weightlifter was Madhura Kar, a young weightlifter from Jalpaiguri, who performed brilliantly and bagged four gold medals in the women’s 52kg sub-junior category.Carr, weighing 49.35kg, lifted 107.5kg in the squat, 60kg in the bench press and 125kg in the deadlift, finishing with a total of 292.5kg. She won gold in all four disciplines.Her achievement is especially notable considering her age. Kar, a Grade 12 student from Jalpaiguri, had already proven herself at the national level, winning the national powerlifting championship in 2024 and retaining the title in 2025.She also won the National Press Championship in Faridabad this year.Earlier in 2026, Carr finished second overall and won a silver medal for India at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in China. Her four gold collections in South Africa have now added another major achievement to her rapidly developing CV.
Asmaa takes sixth place in the 84+kg category
India’s third women’s competitor, Asma Tahrali Zabuwala, competed in the women’s under-junior 84+kg category.Zabuwala finished sixth overall after recording 132.5kg in the squat, 75kg in the bench press and 165kg in the deadlift, giving her a total of 372.5kg.All three performances underscore the breadth of India’s participation in the tournaments – from the lighter weight classes, where Banerjee’s impressive power-to-bodyweight ratio has become the talking point, to the heavier divisions.
Why does Banerjee’s elevator resonate?
Weightlifting rarely gets the mainstream attention that cricket, football, badminton or athletics enjoys in India. However, Banerjee’s viral lift provided an instantly comprehensible sporting moment: a 45.70kg athlete successfully lifted 140kg on a world championship stage.The numbers tell the story. Her deadlift was 3.06 times her body weight, while her total deadlift of 280 kg was more than six times her competition body weight.Perhaps this is why the video has transcended the traditional weightlifting audience.Banerjee’s silver medal gave India’s weightlifting a rare viral moment, while Carr’s four golds and Zabuwala’s quiet sixth place added to India’s strong showing in South Africa.
