Keyaa Banerji’s 140kg lift went viral. Then came AI images, fake accounts & abuse
Keyaa Kunal Banerji, a talented Indian powerlifter, showcased her skills by winning a silver medal at the IPF Jr Worlds. However, her triumph was overshadowed by online harassment and disturbing AI-generated impersonations. To combat this, Banerji established a new account to take back control of her narrative and share her true story. She aspires to gain recognition for her achievements,…
Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji's impressive 140kg deadlift at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships sparked widespread online attention, but it also exposed her to disturbing forms of online abuse. The 21-year-old athlete revealed through her Instagram stories that she's faced sexual harassment, impersonation, discussions about her ethnicity, ancestry, and caste, and is overwhelmed by thousands of AI-generated images of her with manipulated images.
Banerji created a new account to regain control over her identity and sporting story, but the transition from a private to a public profile has made her feel uneasy. She wants her sporting identity to remain her own and not be reduced to an online image that feels inauthentic to her.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
