India wins First CWG Judo Gold: Asmita and Harsh Deliver Historic Golden Double
India wins first CWG Judo Gold: Before Friday, Indian judo had not made a big impact internationally.
Over the years, the team had won eleven medals—five silvers and six bronzes—but had never taken gold since the sport was introduced at the Auckland 1990 Games.
On an exciting afternoon in Glasgow, India finally ended its long wait for a judo gold medal—not just once, but twice.
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India Wins First CWG Judo Gold: Asmita Dey Leads Historic Golden Rush for Indian Judo
India wins first CWG judo gold: Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh made history by winning the country’s first-ever judo golds at the Games.
Later, Yamini Mourya earned a hard-fought silver, making this India’s best judo campaign so far.
For 23-year-old Asmita Dey, who made history in the women’s 48kg division, winning gold meant a lot.
Honouring Her Father: Asmita Dey Battles Anxiety and Grief to Take the Podium
Asmita Dey Judo Gold: Seven months before her victory, her father, a bicycle mechanic who earned about Rs 300 a day and supported the family in a small mud house in Tripura, died suddenly from a brain stroke.
He always encouraged her sporting dreams, helped her through tough times, and even took her to Delhi for treatment when a knee injury nearly ended her career.
After her father passed away in December, Asmita Dey considered quitting judo. Ten days after the funeral, her mother encouraged her to return to the Sports Authority of India centre in Bhopal, reminding her that giving up would mean letting go of the dreams her father had worked so hard to support.
Asmita carried that emotional weight with her to Glasgow, dealing with anxiety and sleepless nights before the tournament.
She said that before winning the medal, she often had trouble sleeping in India, spending many nights worrying about her matches.
Even after arriving in Glasgow, she felt anxious, always thinking about the competition and focusing on beating each opponent to win the title.
She gave a strong performance to win gold and dedicated her achievement to her father, who had laid the foundation for her success.
India Wins First CWG Judo Gold: Asmita Dey Fights Back to Capture Gold in 48kg Judo Final
In the women’s 48kg judo final against Canada’s Heidi Quach, Asmita Dey made a dramatic comeback after giving up an early yuko and getting a shido penalty.
She stayed calm, became more aggressive midway through the match, landed a strong throw to tie the score, and pushed the bout into Golden Score overtime.
Under pressure, she attacked near the edge of the mat and scored the winning yuko, earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Harsh Singh Clinches Gold, Dedicates Win to Mother
Harsh Singh Judo Gold: Harsh Singh also faced a veteran opponent with Oceania titles and a bronze medal at Birmingham 2022.
He stayed calm during the tense match, scored a waza-ari with 41 seconds left, and defended well until the end to pull off a memorable upset.
Singh said that hearing the Indian national anthem on such a big stage, thanks to his performance, was a special feeling.
He dedicated the gold medal to his mother and said that although there was pressure, the support of his seniors and family kept him from feeling overwhelmed.
Commonwealth Games 2026: Yamini Mourya Settles for Silver in Thrilling Judo Battle
Yamini Mourya Silver Medal: India’s hopes for three gold medals ended in the women’s 57kg final, where Yamini Mourya from Sagar narrowly lost after a tough seven-minute match against England’s Acelya Toprak.
The 2022 silver medallist fought through four minutes of regular time and pushed the contest deep into Golden Score.
But a third shido (penalty) for passivity three minutes into extra time led to her disqualification, giving Mourya a well-earned silver.
With Unnati Sharma (women’s 63kg) and Karanjit Singh Mann (men’s 90kg) set to compete on Saturday, India’s judo team heads into the weekend hoping to add even more medals to its record-breaking tally.
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