Daijiworld Media Network - Glasgow
Glasgow, July 31: Indian judo celebrated a watershed moment at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Friday as Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh etched their names into the record books by becoming the country's first-ever female and male Commonwealth Games judo gold medallists.
Twenty-three-year-old Asmita Dey from Tripura became the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in women's judo after defeating Canada's Heidi Quach 2-1 in a gripping 48kg final that was decided in the Golden Score period.
Shortly afterwards, Harsh Singh ensured a historic double for India by becoming the nation's first male Commonwealth Games judo champion, upsetting Australia's highly experienced Joshua Katz in the men's 60kg final.
Asmita, a Khelo India athlete, hails from Belonia in South Tripura. Born into a humble family, she is the daughter of a bicycle mechanic and overcame financial hardships to pursue the sport. "Asmita Dey is an Indian judoka from Belonia, South Tripura. Born into a humble family, she is the daughter of a bicycle mechanic and overcame financial challenges to pursue judo. She initially competed in athletics (800 metres) before being introduced to judo by her first coach, after which she joined the Tripura Sports School in 2015," read a statement from the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Her performances at the National School Games and Khelo India competitions earned her a place at the SAI Regional Centre, Bhopal (NCOE), in 2018, and since then she has been training at the NCOE in Bhopal. Asmita has represented India at international events, winning medals at the Asian Open, Junior Asia Cup Judo Championships and Commonwealth Judo Championships, establishing herself as one of India's leading judokas in the 48kg category," the statement added.
Asmita's major achievements include a fifth-place finish at the 2026 Senior Asian Judo Championships, gold at the 2025 African Open in Casablanca, bronze at the 2024 Commonwealth Judo Championships, gold at the 2023 Junior Asia Cup Judo Championships in Macau, silver at the 2023 Asian Open in Kuwait City, and bronze at the 2022 Asian Junior Judo Championships in Bangkok.
The Tripura judoka endured a difficult start to the final after conceding a yuko and receiving a penalty, allowing Quach to take control of the contest. However, Asmita responded with greater attacking intent and levelled the scores at 1-1 shortly after the midway stage of the four-minute bout.
Neither judoka managed to produce a decisive score during regulation time, forcing the contest into the Golden Score period, where the first scoring action determines the winner. Displaying remarkable composure under pressure, Asmita launched a decisive attack in sudden-death overtime to earn another yuko, sealing a memorable victory and India's first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold.
Harsh Singh's triumph was equally historic as the 23-year-old claimed the biggest title of his career in his maiden Commonwealth Games appearance with a composed and tactically astute performance against Olympic judoka Joshua Katz, who had entered the final as the overwhelming favourite.
After a closely contested bout in which neither judoka established a clear advantage, Harsh struck decisively with just 41 seconds remaining, executing a superb waza-ari—the second-highest scoring technique in judo—to take the lead. He then defended resolutely for the remainder of the four-minute contest to secure a famous victory.
The result was regarded as a major upset considering Katz's decorated résumé. The 28-year-old Australian has won multiple Oceania Championships and Australian national titles, represented Australia at the Olympic Games and claimed a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Unfazed by his opponent's pedigree, Harsh remained composed throughout the contest and refused to be overawed by the occasion. His decisive waza-ari not only sealed the Australian's fate but also delivered India's second judo gold of the day, completing a landmark day for the country.
Katz also comes from one of Australia's most distinguished judo families, with both his parents being former judokas and his father having served as Australia's national judo coach at previous Olympic Games, adding further significance to Harsh's breakthrough triumph.
The twin victories marked the finest day in Indian judo at the Commonwealth Games, with Asmita and Harsh creating history through courage, composure and outstanding performances on the Glasgow tatami.