Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji has drawn widespread attention after a remarkable 140kg deadlift at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in South Africa. The 21-year-old's lift was more than three times her bodyweight and helped her secure a silver medal in the Junior Women's 47kg category.
A video of Keyaa's deadlift has gone viral on social media, with the performance becoming a talking point among fans. Competing in Sun City, the Haryana athlete weighed 45.70kg and finished the event with a combined lift of 280kg.
Who is Keyaa Kunal Banerji?
Keyaa is a 21-year-old powerlifter from Haryana who competes in the Junior Women's 47 kg category. At the world championships, she recorded a 90 kg squat, a 50 kg bench press and a 140 kg deadlift.
Her 280 kg total placed her fifth overall, but she finished with a silver medal after the deadlift results were taken into account. Ireland's Blathnaid O'Dwyer also managed a 140 kg deadlift, while France's Ines Herbaux topped the deadlift section with a 165 kg lift.
Keyaa's performance stood out particularly because of the weight she managed to pull relative to her own bodyweight. At 45.70 kg, her 140 kg deadlift was more than three times her bodyweight.
Keyaa's rapid improvement
The world championship result also reflects the progress Keyaa has made over the past year.
At the National Championships last year, she registered an 82.5 kg squat, 47.5 kg bench press and 127.5 kg deadlift. Her combined total at the event was 257.5 kg.
She improved across all three lifts at the latest National Championships. Keyaa recorded a 95 kg squat and a 52.5 kg bench press, while her deadlift reached 140 kg. Those numbers gave her a total of 287.5 kg.
Her 140 kg pull in South Africa therefore matched the deadlift she had already achieved at the latest National Championships, while her world championship total stood at 280 kg.
The viral clip of the lift has since brought renewed attention to Keyaa's performance, with the Indian powerlifter's showing in the 47 kg junior category earning her a silver medal on the international stage.