Indian weightlifter Harjinder Kaur has dedicated her 2026 Commonwealth Games silver medal to her mother, revealing that she always calls her first after winning a major event. Harjinder won silver in the women’s 69kg category with a combined lift of 227kg (101kg snatch and 126kg clean and jerk), earning her second consecutive Commonwealth Games medal after winning bronze in Birmingham in 2022.“I usually call my mother first whenever I win a medal, and today was no different; I spoke to her briefly right after my event because she was a bit angry with me for being away from competitions for so long,” Harjinder told news agency IANS.The 29-year-old has been in medal contention throughout the competition and secured second place with a successful 126kg in her final attempt. Although she admitted that she lifted heavier weights in training, she was pleased with her consistency.“I’m happy with my silver medal. I got better clean and jerk lifts during my training, but I’m happy that all six of my lifts were valid,” he said.Harjinder also revealed that bettering his previous Commonwealth Games result was one of his biggest goals.“I came here with the aim of changing the color of my medal,” he added.Harjinder’s sports career did not start in weightlifting. He was initially a Kabaddi player and regularly cycled five kilometers to attend training sessions. It was only in 2016, at the age of 20, while studying at Punjabi University in Patiala, that he switched to weightlifting, a decision that has now helped him become a Commonwealth Games silver medallist.
