2 min readUpdated: Jul 29, 2026 01:21 AM IST

India’s weightlifters continue to ring in the medals in Glasgow as Harjinder Kaur won silver in women’s 69kg to make it seven from the sport for India at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Harjinder lifted 101kg in snatch and then 126kg in clean and jerk, both of which were personal bests for her. Canadian Charlotte Simoneau won gold with a total lift of 240kg at present while Nya Phebe Hayman of Australia won bronze after heaving a total of 218kg. Harjinder was placed second at the end of snatch and she maintained her spot right to the end.

The 29-year-old has thus won a medal for the second consecutive time at the Commonwealth Games and improved on the bronze she won at Birmingham 2022. Harjinder’s journey to becoming a weightlifter lay in the strength she showed in tug-of-war. Her strong arms, she had told The Indian Express in 2022 before she won her first CWG medal, were developed by cutting fodder. It was hard labour on what is known as the toka, a chaff cutting machine which requires the operator to turn a giant wheel with blades.

“My father would give me Rs 350 for the return fare from Nabha to the college hostel in Sri Anandpur Sahib and another Rs 350 as pocket money. I felt ashamed to ask for more money,” Harjinder said before her competition at the CWG. “If I win a medal, I would say that the fodder I cut on a toka helped me build strong arms and it helped me when I took up weightlifting,” Harjinder added.

More to come…