Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji delivered one of the standout performances of her young career by winning deadlift silver at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships. In the Junior Women’s 47kg category, the 21-year-old lifted 140kg, more than three times her competition body weight of 45.70kg.
The achievement quickly gained attention online as videos of the lift spread widely. Alongside support for her strength and medal, Banerji faced harassment, impersonation and the creation of thousands of AI-generated images using her face and body without consent.
The experience is a reminder that sporting visibility can expose athletes to risks that have nothing to do with performance. Competition images and videos can be copied, manipulated and distributed at speed, making it difficult for athletes to retain control over their identity online.
Banerji has responded by creating a new Instagram account, giving her a way to reconnect with supporters and share her sporting work on her own terms. The focus, she has said, should remain on the athlete and the sport rather than fabricated or unwanted material.
Her medal deserves to be the central story. A 140kg lift and a world championship silver mark Banerji as an emerging name in Indian strength sports. Her experience also points to the need for stronger respect for athletes’ consent, safety and ownership of their own image.