Despite trailing early, Asmita never lost confidence and produced one of the finest performances of her career when it mattered the most
Published: August 1, 2026, 10:29 AM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/meet-asmita-dey-the-tripura-judoka-who-ended-indias-wait-for-commonwealth-games-judo-gold-in-glasgow-8489879/
India’s Asmita Dey celebrates with her gold medal during the medal presentation ceremony for the women’s 48kg judo event at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday, July 31, 2026(Photo: IANS/Biplab Banerjee)
Asmita Dey made history at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after becoming the first Indian judoka to win a gold medal at the eventThe 23-year-old from Tripura fought back brilliantly to defeat Canada’s Heidi Quach in the women’s 48kg final and script a landmark moment for Indian judo.
Judo has been part of the Commonwealth Games since the 1990 edition in Auckland, and although Indian athletes have won several medals over the years, none had managed to stand on top of the podium until Asmita’s remarkable victory in Glasgow.
Read more:
Meet Harsh Singh – India’s first-ever male Judoka to win Commonwealth Games Gold in Judo at Glasgow
The final did not begin well for the Indian judokaAsmita found herself trailing early after conceding a yuko and then receiving a penalty, allowing Quach to take control of the contestWith the Canadian holding the advantage, Asmita had to fight her way back into the bout.
The Indian responded strongly by increasing the intensity of her attacks and putting her opponent under pressureHer efforts paid off as she levelled the scores at 1-1 shortly after the halfway stage of the four-minute contest.
Also Read: India at Commonwealth Games 2026: Medal tally of Indian contingent ahead of action on August 1
Both judokas continued to battle hard during the remaining regulation time, but neither could land the decisive scoreWith the contest still tied, the gold medal match moved into the Golden Score period, where the first scoring move would decide the winner.
Asmita held her nerve during the sudden-death contestShe launched a decisive attack at the right moment and earned another yuko, sealing a famous victory and becoming India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games judo champion.
The gold medal was a reward for Asmita’s determination and composureDespite trailing early, she never lost confidence and produced one of the finest performances of her career when it mattered the most.
“I have worked so hard for thisBefore this medal, I was unable to sleep in IndiaI used to stay awake thinking about the fightsEven if my body was tired, I was not able to sleepI used to feel restless and then wake up for training at 5.30,” Asmita said after winning the Gold medal.
Who is Asmita Dey?
Asmita hails from Belonia in South Tripura and trains at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), BhopalBorn on March 22, 2003, she comes from a humble family and is the daughter of a bicycle mechanicShe initially competed in athletics before taking up judo in 2015 and later joined the Sports Authority of India’s NCOE in Bhopal.
Before winning Commonwealth Games gold, Asmita had already built an impressive recordShe won gold at the 2025 African Open in Casablanca, claimed the 2023 Junior Asia Cup title, won silver at the 2023 Asian Open in Kuwait City, bronze at the 2024 Commonwealth Judo Championships and finished fifth at the 2026 Senior Asian Judo Championships.
