Asmita Dey's Historic Judo Gold for India at CWG 2026: Friday, July 31, marked a golden moment in the history of Indian judo at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Asmita Dey, hailing from the small town of Belonia in South Tripura, clinched the gold medal in the women's 48kg judo category by defeating Canada's Heidi Kwak in the 'Golden Score' period.
With this victory, Asmita became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in judo at the Commonwealth Games. However, her journey from Belonia, Tripura, to the podium in Glasgow was far from easy.
How did Asmita Dey get into judo?
Interestingly, Asmita did not start her sporting career in judo. When she enrolled at the Tripura Sports School in 2015, she began her athletic journey with the 800-meter race.
However, she later took up judo on the advice of a coach. Subsequently, Bina Debnath from the Belonia Vidyapith Coaching Centre and coach Manik Lal Deb from the Tripura Sports School honed her initial techniques.
On the strength of her outstanding performances at the National School Games and Khelo India, she was selected for the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bhopal, where she continues to train.
At the SAI Regional Centre there, she worked on her game under the guidance of renowned judo coach Yashpal Solanki. She is also the first athlete from Tripura to secure a spot in the Indian judo team.
Unwavering Determination Despite Financial Hardship and Father's Demise
Asmita’s family background has been marked by significant struggle. Her father ran a small bicycle repair shop in Belonia. In 2023, she lacked the funds to travel to the Tashkent Grand Slam; despite appealing to the state government, she was unable to participate due to a lack of funding. Yet, despite these financial challenges, Asmita Dey never gave up.
Before winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, Asmita had already brought glory to India on numerous occasions. She has won a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championships, a silver medal at the 2023 Kuwait Asian Open, a gold medal at the Junior Asian Cup, and a gold medal at the 2025 Casablanca African Open.
Lost her father in December 2025
Asmita's father passed away in December 2025, leaving her devastated. However, she made a strong comeback just two months later by securing the top national rank at the Asian Games trials. Asmita Dey appeared emotional after winning a historic medal at the Commonwealth Games. She said, I am overjoyed to have won this medal.
This medal was incredibly significant for me, my state of Tripura, and the entire country. I dedicate this achievement to my coach and my late father. When my father passed away in December 2025, I felt as though I had lost everything, as he was my greatest supporter. Yet, I did not lose heart, and today I have fulfilled his dream.
