Father fixed cycles for living, daughter Asmita Dey wins historic judo gold

India's Asmita Dey scripted history on Friday, becoming the first Indian judoka to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after defeating Canada's Heidi Quach in the women's 48kg final at Glasgow 2026. The victory marked a watershed moment for Indian judo, ending the country's wait for a Commonwealth Games champion and adding another historic chapter to India's campaign in Glasgow.Born on March 22, 2003, in Belonia, a district headquarters town in South Tripura, Asmita's rise has been a remarkable story of perseverance. The daughter of a bicycle repair shop owner, the 23-year-old overcame modest beginnings and limited exposure to competitive sport to become India's first Commonwealth Games judo champion.The 23-year-old edged a fiercely contested final 2-1 by Yuko, producing a calm and composed display to deliver a landmark moment for Indian judo. Her triumph also gave India its maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal in the sport. Asmita Dey produced a spirited comeback to clinch the women's 48kg judo gold medal, defeating Canada's Heidi Quach in a dramatic golden score contest at the Commonwealth Games here on Friday.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.#WATCH | Glasgow | Indian Athlete Asmita Dey says, “I am really happy to win this medal; This medal was very important for me, my state and my country I dedicate it to my coach My father, who passed away in December 2025, had supported me a lot, but I felt that everything was https://t.co/G3YPdDXuUv pic.twitter.com/KzJjcP9BQm— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2026The final began cautiously, with both judokas engaged in physical exchanges along the edge of the mat. Quach opened the scoring midway through the contest with a throw, but Asmita responded strongly despite picking up a shido penalty. The Indian quickly found an equaliser with a sharp throw to level the scores. Asmita grew in confidence as the bout progressed, pressing forward with a series of attacking moves. While a couple of her lock attempts did not earn points, she remained in control despite Quach threatening with a counterattack. With the scores still level at the end of regulation time, the contest moved into Golden Score, where Asmita once again held her nerve. The Indian executed a superb throw near the edge of the mat to score the winning point, sealing the gold and sparking celebrations. Earlier on Friday, Asmita had battled past Scotland's Sarah Adlington in a tense Golden Score semifinal to secure her place in the title clash and guarantee India a medal. She had begun her campaign with an emphatic ippon victory over Scotland's Eva Ewing in the quarterfinals. An ippon is the highest possible score in judo, awarding a full point and ending the contest immediately. Yuko, meanwhile, is a lower-value score that was reinstated by the International Judo Federation (IJF) for the LA 2028 Olympic cycle.WHO IS ASMITA DEY?Asmita initially pursued athletics and competed in the 800m before a coach spotted her potential and introduced her to judo. In 2015, she joined the Tripura Sports School, where she trained under Bina Debnath before later working with Manik Lal Deb. She steadily built a reputation through the School Games and Khelo India circuit. Her performances earned her a place at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Bhopal, where she trained under the national programme and continued her development.Asmita announced herself on the international stage in July 2022 by winning bronze at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championships in Bangkok. She defeated opponents from China, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia en route to the podium, becoming the first judoka from Tripura to win an international medal. She followed that achievement with a gold medal in the women's -48kg category at the Khelo India University Games in Bengaluru and carried her momentum into 2023.In April, she claimed silver at the Asian Open in Kuwait City before winning gold at the Junior Asia Cup Judo Championships in Macau in July. During this phase of her career, Asmita identified Indian judoka Avtar Singh as her sporting idol, alongside Japanese star Uta Abe. A Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) development athlete, she also spoke of her ambition to win an Olympic medal for India.Asmita's rise continued through 2024 and 2025. She won bronze in the women's -48kg category at the 2024 Commonwealth Judo Championships before adding another international title with gold at the 2025 African Open in Casablanca, Morocco. She also represented India at the 2026 Asian Senior Championships, gaining valuable experience against some of the continent's strongest competitors before arriving at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.- EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Jul 31, 2026 20:55 IST