Gyaneshwari Yadav Aims for Personal Best at Asian Games

Commonwealth Games silver medallist Gyaneshwari Yadav is focused on surpassing her personal best as she gears up for the Asian Games. The 23-year-old weightlifter from Chhattisgarh aims to leverage her experience from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she achieved personal bests in both the snatch and clean and jerk, totaling 199kg (88kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk). Gyaneshwari expressed her determination, stating, "The preparation is going good. I want to get my personal best there. I had given my personal best of 199kg at the Commonwealth Games and I will try and improve on that. We haven't got a lot of time, just a month."

She emphasized the importance of small improvements, saying, "I will try to improve in snatch. Even if I'm able to improve 1kg each in snatch and 1kg clean and jerk, it will be an achievement for me. For an athlete, getting a personal best is a huge thing." Currently training at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala, Gyaneshwari is keen to utilize her Commonwealth Games experience to her advantage in Japan, where the Asian Games will take place from September 19.

However, she acknowledges the stiff competition she will face, particularly from traditional powerhouses like China, South Korea, and North Korea. After the Asian Games, Gyaneshwari will also contend with increased domestic competition in her weight category. Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is expected to move up to the 53kg category, which is the starting weight for women at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Additionally, Asian Championships silver medallist Bindyarani Devi plans to drop down to 53kg after her performance at the Commonwealth Games.

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Despite the rising competition, Gyaneshwari remains unfazed. "I started weightlifting seeing Mira didi, and now she is saying she will come to 53kg. I will give my 100 percent and put in all my effort. Baaki competition toh chalta hi hai," she stated confidently. Gyaneshwari has become increasingly comfortable in the 53kg category after initially struggling with weight management. "I am pretty comfortable in this weight category now. Initially, I had weight issues, but now I am comfortable. I have been competing in this weight category for 1-1.5 years now," she added.

Mirabai has been a significant source of inspiration for Gyaneshwari, who trained alongside the former world champion at a camp in Birmingham ahead of the Commonwealth Games. "In Birmingham, I saw her technique, how she's lifting. We observe all of that and learn from it. Her discipline, hard work, and dedication have led her to such a stage. So we learn from that," she reflected.