Sexism, fake accounts, online harassment: Powerlifter Keyaa Banerji reveals the dark side of going viral
(Courtesy : Keyaa Banerji/Instagram)
Banerji became an overnight sensation after her silver medal run at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior.
Indian powerlifter Keyaa Banerji became an overnight sensation after her silver medal run at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa. But the 21-year-old says the attention that followed her win came with a price she was not prepared for.
Competing in the Junior Women’s 47kg category, Banerji weighed just 45.70kg on competition day, yet pulled off a 140kg deadlift, more than three times her own body weight. That lift alone was enough to place her second in the individual deadlift event, behind France’s Ines Herbaux, who won gold with 165kg. Ireland’s Blathnaid O’Dwyer also lifted 140kg.
Her full campaign in South Africa included a 90kg squat and a 50kg bench press, adding up to a 280kg total and a fifth-place finish overall in the 47kg junior category.
Her numbers have climbed steadily over the past two years. At the 2025 National Championship she totalled 257.5kg, and by the 2026 Nationals she had pushed that to 287.5kg with a 95kg squat, 52.5kg bench press and 140kg deadlift.
What happened after the video went viral?
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Once footage of the lift spread across Instagram and X, the conversation shifted away from sport almost entirely.
Fake accounts began impersonating her, her competition photos were altered using AI, and thousands of manipulated images began circulating without her consent. Her own account was later suspended after being targeted by impersonators posting inappropriate AI-generated content.
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She described the reaction bluntly, calling it “sexism at its finest” in her conversation with ANI, and argued that a man in her position would never be scrutinised the same way, saying flatly, “The way I was treated – men would never have to face this, like after winning a championship or something like that; a male athlete never has to face something like this.”
She added, “Most of the conversation revolved around my appearance. All people would talk about was my appearance, and I think that really bothered me because I had accomplished something so big for myself and I had done something so big in my sport.”
She recently graduated from Ashoka University with a degree in psychology and is weighing an MBA while continuing to chase the Asian deadlift record of 147.5kg in her weight category. She has already hit 147.5kg and 150kg in training.
Her rise has coincided with a broader breakout for Indian powerlifting at the same championships. Madhura Kar, a Class 12 student from Jalpaiguri, swept four gold medals in the Sub-Junior Women’s 52kg category with a 292.5kg total, having already won back-to-back National Powerlifting Championships in 2024 and 2025.
Powerlifting is not currently an Olympic sport, unlike weightlifting, though Banerji has said she hopes that changes in time for her to compete on that stage.
How much did Banerji lift compared to her body weight?
She deadlifted 140kg while weighing just 45.70kg, more than three times her own body weight.
What harassment did she face after going viral?
Fake accounts, AI-altered photos, and thousands of manipulated images circulated without her consent, leading to her account being suspended.
What’s her next goal?
Breaking the Asian deadlift record of 147.5 kg; she’s already hit 147.5kg and 150kg in training.
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