Gyaneshwari Yadav credits years of struggle for Commonwealth Games success | Other Sports News

Commonwealth Games silver medallist weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav on Monday recalled that overcoming menstrual cramps was the biggest challenge for her at the event, with her firm commitment to achieving the goal acting as her motivation.

Yadav said her next target is the Asian Games for which she had about a month to prepare.

She recalled the struggles of the years and kept reminding herself of the dream of her father, who pursued bodybuilding as a hobby, to bring glory to the country.

The 23-year-old from Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh won the silver medal in the women’s 53 kg weightlifting in the just-concluded event in Glasgow.

On Monday, Yadav and her parents met Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at his official residence, where she was felicitated for bringing laurels to the country and her home state, 
Speaking to PTI Videos, Yadav said her biggest challenge during the Commonwealth Games was that it was the first day of her period (menstruation).

“I had trained under such conditions before, but had never competed on the first day of my periods. I kept telling myself to stay focused, and my family and coaches also kept assuring me that everything would be fine,” she said.

Yadav said she performed with a calm mind, and after successfully completing her first lift, her confidence grew.

“I told myself that the pain was nothing compared to my goal, and that motivated me to clear all my lifts,” she added.

Yadav noted that her success was the culmination of years of struggle shared by her family, coaches and the people of Rajnandgaon.

“There is a lot of struggle behind every success. My parents struggled alongside me. I still remember my father pushing me on his bicycle to the gym every day. He had once told me that he could never make it to the national or international stage, but wanted me to achieve that dream and bring glory to the country,” she said.

Earlier, the Chief Minister announced a reward of Rs 30 lakh for Yadav and granted her an out-of-turn promotion to the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP).

Reacting to the honour, the weightlifter said it would help her immensely to prepare for future competitions.

“Joining the police as an ASI (assistant sub-inspector) came as a great support. This promotion to DSP will motivate me further and help me prepare better so that I can bring more glory to India and Chhattisgarh on bigger stages. My next target is the Asian Games, and I have one month left to prepare,” she said.

Yadav also urged young weightlifters to remain patient and work hard.

“There are many competitions that offer cash prizes, which provide financial support and motivate athletes. Success takes time, but if you keep working hard, the rewards eventually come,” she said.

Her father, Deepak Yadav, said the silver medal was a proud achievement for Chhattisgarh and expressed confidence that his daughter would win more medals with everyone’s blessings.

“We came from a financially weak family. I used to do bodybuilding as a hobby and would take her to Jai Bhavani Vyayam Shala, where she was given training in weightlifting. I never imagined she would reach this level,” he said.

Describing the cash reward and promotion as a major motivation, Deepak Yadav said they would encourage more children to take up sports and pursue excellence.