Bindyarani Devi recently won a Bronze medal at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the women’s 58kg category. She is one of India’s most experienced weightlifters and has delivered strong performances over the years at both national and international events. Devi was born on January 27, 1999, in Imphal, Manipur; her father is a farmer by profession and also runs a grocery store. She grew up with her parents, brother and sister.
Devi was interested in sports from a young age; she first trained in taekwondo between 2008 and 2012 before switching to weightlifting in 2013. Because her height was considered appropriate for weightlifting, it eventually became the sport she decided to pursue professionally. She began training at the Sports Authority of India’s North Eastern Regional Centre in Imphal. After three years of consistent improvement, Devi earned a place at the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Imphal.
In 2016, Devi won the IWLF Youth National Championships before winning a gold medal at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2019.
In 2019, she also won gold at the Commonwealth Championships with a total lift of 183kg, including 78kg in the snatch and 105kg in the clean and jerk.
In 2021, Devi won silver at the 2021 Commonwealth Championships and gold in the clean and jerk at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships.
Bindyarani’s journey has not always been smooth sailing and has been marked with injuries. In 2023, she first suffered an injury to her left knee just before the national selection trials. As she was on the road to recovery, similar problems developed with her right knee, which halted her training and limited the amount of weight she could lift during practice.
To make sure her body wasn’t under stress, Devi and her coaching staff decided to return to the non-Olympic 55kg category after having previously moved up to the Olympic Weight category. Once she had recovered, she moved back up to the women’s 58kg category. Regardless of these difficulties, Bindyarani found her way back.
Bindyarani Devi’s medals:
Commonwealth Games:
2022 – Silver in 55kg category (she set a Games record and an Indian national record with a 116 kg lift in the Clean & Jerk)
2026 – Bronze in 58kg category (with a total lift of 199 kg (87 kg Snatch, 112 kg Clean & Jerk)
World Championships:
2021 – Gold in 55kg Clean and Jerk
IWF World Cup:
2024 – Bronze in 55kg
Asian Championships:
2023 – Silver in 55kg
Commonwealth Championships:
2019 – Gold in 55kg
2021 – Silver in 55kg
2025 – Silver in 58kg
South Asian Games:
2019 – Gold in 55kg
