Historic Day for Indian Judokos: Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh Becomes India's First-Ever Judoko Gold Medalists in CWG 2026

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By Gopal Ram Tripathi

INDIAN JUDO has never seen a day like this before. At the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, two young athletes, Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh, made history. Both of them won gold medals in judo, becoming the first Indian judokas ever, male or female, to reach the top of the podium at the Commonwealth Games on Friday, July 31, 2026. This is a huge achievement for Indian sports. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the two athletes, calling it a "historic day" for Indian judo. Their wins have brought great pride to the country and inspired many young athletes who dream of representing India one day.

See Also: Commonwealth Games 2026: India Wins Six More Medals on Day 5, Sharmila Dhankar Creates History With A Gold Medal

Asmita Dey's Journey to The Top of The Podium

Asmita Dey competed in the women's -48kg category. Earlier in the day, she had already shown great fighting spirit. In her semifinal, she faced Scotland's Summer Shaw, a four-time British champion. That match was very tough, and neither player scored during normal time. The game had to go into extra time, called the Golden Score. Even after getting a small penalty, Asmita stayed calm and won the match with a strong throw.

In the final, Asmita faced Heidi Quach of Canada. She fought bravely and won the match by a score of 2-1, using a Yuko technique. With this win, Asmita became the first Indian judoka in history, man or woman, to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. This is even more special because of her background. Asmita comes from Belonia in South Tripura and is the daughter of a bicycle mechanic. She faced financial struggles growing up. She first competed in athletics before switching to judo. Her hard work paid off when she joined the Tripura Sports School and later trained at the SAI center in Bhopal. Her journey from a small town to Commonwealth Games gold is truly inspiring.

See Also: Commonwealth Games 2026, Day 6: India's Medal Hunger Continues in Glasgow As Harjinder Kaur Bags Silver

Harsh Singh Seized His Golden Moment in Mens

Soon after Asmita's win, Harsh Singh added to India's joy. Harsh competed in the men's -60kg category. Earlier, in his semifinal match, he faced Australia's Pedro Carlos Antun Neto. Harsh stayed in control throughout the match and won comfortably, booking his place in the final.

In the final, Harsh faced Joshua Katz of Australia, who is an Olympian. Despite facing a strong opponent, Harsh fought with confidence and won the match. This victory made him the first Indian male judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. His win came just moments after Asmita's historic victory, making it a double celebration for the Indian judo team on the same day.

With these two gold medals, India's judo team also had other athletes performing well. Yamini Mourya had earlier reached the final of the women's -57kg category, adding more excitement to India's medal hopes. India's overall medal count at the Games also kept rising, reaching 19 medals with these new judo wins and results from boxing as well.

This day will be remembered as a turning point for Indian judo. Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh did something that no Indian judoka had ever done before, winning gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. Their success shows that Indian judo is growing stronger and can now compete with the best in the world. Their stories of hard work and determination will inspire many young athletes across India to take up the sport and dream big.

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