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Indian judoka Asmita Dey dedicated her Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medal to her coach and remembered the support of her late father after winning the women's 48kg judo title in Glasgow on Friday.
Asmita prevailed by Yuko (2-1) with a composed and determined display, earning India's first judo gold medal of the Games. Speaking to ANI after her triumph, Asmita Dey said she was delighted to win gold in her first Commonwealth Games, dedicating the medal to her coach, country, police department and state. A visibly emotional Asmita also remembered her late father, whose support had been crucial in her journey, and said she regained confidence after topping the national-level Asian Games trials two months after his death. "It feels very good. This is my first Commonwealth Games, and I have won a gold medal in it, and I am very happy today. For me, this medal was very important for my country, for my police department, and for my state. And for me, for everyone. I dedicate it to my coach... My father, who passed away in December 2025, had supported me a lot, but I felt that everything was over after his death. But two months later, the Asian Games trials took place, in which I stood first at the national level," Asmita said. The final began as a closely contested affair, with both judokas engaged in intense grappling and repeatedly forcing each other towards the edge of the mat. Quach struck first midway through the contest with a throw to take the lead. The Indian responded strongly despite receiving a Shido penalty, producing a quick throw of her own to level the scores. Asmita grew in confidence as the bout progressed, launching several attacking moves while defending resolutely against Quach's attempts to regain the advantage, according to ESPN. With the scores tied at the end of regulation time, the contest entered Golden Score, where the first scoring action would decide the winner. Asmita held her nerve in the extra period and executed a well-timed throw near the edge of the mat to secure the decisive Yuko, dramatically sealing the gold medal. India's judo campaign continued to be brilliant as, after Asmita, Harsh Singh clinched the men's 60kg gold medal after defeating Australia's Joshua Katz by Waza-Ari (10-0) in the final. Harsh's triumph earned India its second judo gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 and the country's fifth gold overall at the Games. India has now won 19 medals in Glasgow, comprising five gold, nine silver and five bronze. India's gold medallists are Mirabai Chanu (women's 48kg weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (women's shot put F57), Dilip Gavit (men's 100m T47), Asmita Dey (women's 48kg judo) and Harsh Singh (men's 60kg judo). The country's silver medals have come through Rishikanta Singh, Muthupandi Raja, Gyaneshwari Yadav, Sarvesh Kushare, Valluri Ajaya Babu, Harjinder Kaur, Gulveer Singh, Murali Sreeshankar, Mohammed Basil and Lovepreet Singh, while bronze medals have been won by Jhandu Kumar, Bindyarani Devi, Shilpa K Shyla and Seema Kaliramna. (ANI)
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