Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh scripted history on Friday, becoming the first-ever Indian judokas to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. She achieved the feat in the women’s -48 kg category by defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach 2-1, while Harsh brought the top prize by beating Joshua Katz of Australia 10-0 in the men’s -60 kg category. Speaking of Asmita’s match, it was a riveting one and eventually went down to a golden score. It was then that Dey pulled off a sensational move to win the top prize in the competition. Before the golden score, the score was 1-1, and it was all dependent on who scored the next point first.
The contest started with Asmita locking Heidi’s left arm, but the Canadian opponent managed to escape. The latter then went on the offensive, but Asmita showed great defence. Quach scored the first point with a Yuko, but a shido penalty for Asmita resulted in her scoring with a Yuko, bringing the scoreline level at 1-1. The contest then went to the golden score, and Asmita scored with a Yuko, winning the contest 2-1 to seal the gold medal for herself.
Also Read: Commonwealth Games 2026 LIVE Updates Day 9
Speaking of Harsh’s match, there was no score for the majority of the contest. The Indian then scored a waza-ari, which was enough to win the match 10-0 and seal the gold.
All you need to know about Asmita
Interestingly, Asmita did not begin her sporting career on the judo mat. She initially trained as an 800-metre runner before being introduced to judo by her first coach. The transition proved to be a turning point, and after enrolling at the Tripura Sports School in 2015, she quickly showcased her potential.
Strong performances at the National School Games and Khelo India competitions earned her a place at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bhopal in 2018. Since then, she has developed into one of India’s leading competitors in the women’s 48kg category.
Asmita has represented the country at several international tournaments, collecting medals at the Asian Open, Junior Asia Cup Judo Championships and Commonwealth Judo Championships. She was earlier known for winning gold at the 2025 African Open in Casablanca and the 2023 Junior Asia Cup Judo Championships in Macau.
All you need to know about Harsh
Harsh has represented the country across the IJF World Tour, gaining valuable experience against some of the world’s strongest competitors. Over the years, he has featured in prestigious events such as the Tokyo Grand Slam, the Asian Judo Championships and multiple IJF Grand Prix tournaments.
