Indian powerlifter Keyaa Banerji has opened up about the disturbing online abuse she faced after her sensational 140kg deadlift at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships.
The 21-year-old athlete lifted more than three times her body weight to win a silver medal in the deadlift event for India. While her performance earned widespread praise on social media, Banerji said her sudden visibility also exposed her to sexual harassment, impersonation and AI-generated images created without her consent.
She shared details of her experience through Instagram Stories.
Keyaa Banerji speaks about online harassment
Banerji said she had to deal with multiple forms of abuse following her performance, including fake accounts, disturbing conversations and manipulated images.
She said thousands of AI-generated images featuring her face and body had been circulated online without her permission.
The athlete also said some online conversations focused on her ethnicity, ancestry and caste, adding to what she described as an unnerving experience.
‘I never wanted to see myself everywhere’
Banerji said she has always been a private person and rarely posted photographs on social media.
According to the powerlifter, the sudden spread of images of her made the situation particularly difficult, as she found herself seeing the manipulated content not only on her own feeds but also on those of people she knows.
She also revealed that Instagram had suspended her previous account, which was private and had around 300 followers. She said she created a new account and made it public because she wanted to have a voice in discussions surrounding her sport and achievements.
Athlete says AI images were shared without consent
Banerji said the purpose of powerlifting in her life has been to challenge herself and enjoy competing at a high level.
However, she said she strongly disliked seeing AI-generated posters and manipulated images of herself circulating without her consent.
Her comments have highlighted the growing concerns faced by female athletes as their visibility on social media increases, particularly with the misuse of artificial intelligence to create manipulated images.
Banerji’s 140kg lift wins silver
Despite the online abuse, Banerji’s performance at the junior world championships marked a major achievement for Indian powerlifting.
Her 140kg deadlift, which was more than three times her body weight, helped her secure a silver medal for India and brought significant attention to her performance.
The athlete’s account has since added another dimension to the conversation around the treatment of female athletes online and the challenges posed by non-consensual AI-generated content.
