CWG 2026: 'Asmita has brought glory to Tripura,' says CM after judoka wins historic gold
Glasgow, Aug 1
Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha hailed Asmita Dey's historic Commonwealth Games triumph after the 23-year-old became India's first-ever judo gold medallist at the Games, saying her achievement would inspire generations of young athletes.
"Asmita Dey, a daughter of Tripura, has once again brought glory to the state on the international stage. Her dedication, hard work, and self-confidence will continue to inspire the younger generation of the country," Dr. Saha said while congratulating the judoka.
Asmita overcame personal tragedy and won history by beating Canada's Heidi Quach 2-1 thanks to a dramatic Golden Score, which secured her the women's 48kg title at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Asmita's path to winning the gold medal was just as impressive. She won against Scotland's Eva Ewing by ippon in the quarter-finals and then, in a tough semi-final, narrowly defeated the home favourite Summer Shaw. In the match for the gold medal she remained calm when facing Quach and then secured the win with a Golden Score against Yuko, thus giving India its first-ever judo gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Asmita was born on March 22, 2003, in Belonia, Tripura, and comes from a modest family; she is the daughter of Arjun Kumar Dey, who runs a bicycle repair shop, and at first took part in the 800 metres before being brought into judo by a coach who noticed her potential.
She studied with Bina Debnath at the Belonia Vidyapeeth Coaching Centre and then pursued her training with Manik Lal Deb at the Tripura Sports School. Because of her performances she was accepted at the Sports Authority of India Regional Centre in Bhopal in 2018, where she trained under the experienced coach Yashpal Solanki and later joined the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) development group.
Inspired by the Indian judoka Avtar Singh and the Japanese athlete Uta Abe, Asmita became the first judoka from Tripura to win an international medal at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Competition in 2022; she then secured a gold medal at the 2023 Junior Asia Cup, earned a silver at the Asian Open in Kuwait, and won her first senior international title at the 2025 African Open in Casablanca, Morocco.
Tripura Sports Minister Tinku Roy also praised the judoka for her landmark achievement.
"The entire nation of India is proud of the historic success of Tripura's daughter Asmita Dey. Asmita's unique achievement will inspire, encourage, and motivate countless athletes of the coming generation to dream and achieve bigger goals."
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is so heartwarming! The fact that she overcame personal tragedy and still managed to stay calm in the Golden Score is incredible. Young girls in Tripura, and across India, now have a true role model. The state government should give her a grand welcome and ensure she gets all the support for future events. Well done, Asmita! 👏
As someone who follows judo internationally, I can say this was a well-deserved win. The Canadian girl Quach is a strong competitor, and Asmita's composure under pressure in the Golden Score was world-class. India's judo program is clearly improving, and this gold will inspire a whole generation of athletes. Congratulations to Tripura and India!
Honestly, as a sports enthusiast, I feel the government needs to do more for athletes from the Northeast. Asmita's story is a reminder of the untapped potential in our smaller states. The CM's congratulations are nice, but we need real investment in infrastructure and coaching at the grassroots level. Still, this is a massive moment for Indian judo! 🙌
Absolutely brilliant! Asmita bhai is a champion! 🥋 Her journey from running 800m to winning judo gold shows that with the right guidance and hard work, anything is possible. I hope the TOPS scheme and SAI continue to back her. This is a proud day for all Indians, not just Tripura.
Such an emotional story! From a bicycle repair shop in Belonia to winning gold on the world stage—this is the power of
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