Harjinder Kaur Shines with Silver at Commonwealth Games 2026
Harjinder Kaur's Remarkable Achievement
Glasgow [Scotland], July 29: Indian weightlifter Harjinder Kaur has made her mark by securing a silver medal in the women's 69kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya extended his congratulations, commending her impressive performance on the podium in Glasgow.
In a message shared on X, Mandaviya expressed, "Power, passion, and a podium finish! Congratulations to Harjinder Kaur on winning the Silver Medal in the Women’s 69kg Weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games 2026."
Harjinder delivered an outstanding performance, achieving a personal-best total lift of 227kg, which included 101kg in the snatch and 126kg in the clean and jerk. The gold medal was claimed by Canada's Charlotte Simoneau, who lifted a total of 235kg (108kg in snatch and 127kg in clean and jerk).
She began the competition with a bang, breaking the Commonwealth Games record twice in the snatch category. After lifting 96kg, she surpassed the previous record with a 99kg lift and then set a new benchmark with a remarkable 101kg effort in her final attempt.
Her record-setting snatch performance kept her in the running for gold as she transitioned to the clean and jerk. Harjinder started this phase with a solid lift of 120kg, briefly taking the lead before successfully lifting 126kg, culminating in her career-best total and securing the silver medal.
Despite Simoneau regaining the lead with a final lift that clinched the title, Harjinder's performance underscored India's strength in weightlifting at the Glasgow Games.
This silver medal marks Harjinder's second consecutive podium finish at the Commonwealth Games, having previously won bronze at the Birmingham 2022 Games, thus improving upon her earlier achievement.
Hailing from Nabha, Punjab, the 28-year-old has established herself as one of India's top weightlifters, and her latest success adds to India's medal tally in this competitive discipline.
India has had a fruitful campaign in Glasgow, amassing a total of 12 medals so far, including two gold, seven silver, and three bronze.
Among India's medallists are Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women’s shot put F57), Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting), Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), Sarvesh Kushare (silver, men’s high jump), Gulveer Singh (silver, men’s 10,000m), Harjinder Kaur (silver, weightlifting), Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver, weightlifting), Bindyarani Devi (bronze, weightlifting), Shilpa K. Shyla (bronze, women’s shot put F57), and Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting).