Asmita Dey: Daughter Of Cycle Mechanic Is Now India's 1st CWG Gold Medal Winner In Judo
Asmita Dey made history at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Friday as the 23-year-old from Tripura became the first Indian to win a gold medal in judo at the marquee event
- Asmita Dey became the first Indian to win Commonwealth Games gold in judo
- She defeated Canada's Heidi Quach 2-1 in a closely contested final
- Asmita is a Khelo India athlete from Belonia, South Tripura
Asmita Dey made history at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Friday as the 23-year-old from Tripura became the first Indian to win a gold medal in judo at the marquee event. She beat Canada's Heidi Quach 2-1 in the final, which went down to the wire. Asmita is a Khelo India athlete and has been a force to reckon with over the last few years.
"Asmita Dey is an Indian judoka from Belonia, South Tripura. Born into a humble family, she is the daughter of a bicycle mechanic and overcame financial challenges to pursue judo. She initially competed in athletics (800 metres) before being introduced to judo by her first coach, after which she joined the Tripura Sports School in 2015," read a statement from the SAI.
"Her performances at the National School Games and Khelo India competitions earned her a place at the SAI Regional Centre, Bhopal (NCOE), in 2018, and since then she has been training at the NCOE in Bhopal. Asmita has represented India at international events, winning medals at the Asian Open, Junior Asia Cup Judo Championships, and Commonwealth Judo Championships, establishing herself as one of India's leading judokas in the 48kg category."
Major Achievements:
5th Position - Sr. Asian Judo Championship 2026
Gold Medal - 2025 African Open, Casablanca.
Bronze Medal - 2024 Commonwealth Judo Championships.
Gold Medal - 2023 Junior Asia Cup Judo Championships, Macau.
Silver Medal - 2023 Asian Open, Kuwait City.
Bronze Medal - 2022 Asian Junior Judo Championships, Bangkok.
The 23-year-old from Tripura found herself on the back foot early in the final after conceding a yuko and then receiving a penalty, allowing Quach to take control of the bout.
However, Asmita responded brilliantly, attacking with greater intent and levelling the scores at 1-1 shortly after the midway stage of the four-minute contest.
Neither judoka could find the decisive score during regulation time despite a series of intense exchanges, forcing the match into the Golden Score period, where the first scoring action determines the winner. Maintaining her composure under pressure, Asmita launched a decisive attack in sudden-death overtime and earned another yuko to seal a memorable victory and hand India the gold medal.
The triumph capped an impressive campaign for the young judoka, who showed remarkable resilience to recover from an early deficit and outfight her Canadian opponent in a gripping final.
With PTI inputs