Rajnath Singh lauds Harsh Singh, Asmita Dey for CWG 2026 judo golds

While Harsh Singh clinched the men's 60kg gold medal after defeating Australia's Joshua Katz by Waza-Ari (10-0) in the final, Asmita defeated Canada's Heidi Quach as she prevailed by Yuko (2-1) with a composed and determined display.

In an X post, Rajnath Singh congratulated Harsh Singh for winning the men's 60kg judo gold medal, praising his courage, technical skill and determination while saying his achievement would inspire future generations of judokas.

"Congratulations to Harsh Singh on scripting history with a Gold Medal in the Men's 60 kg Judo event at the Commonwealth Games 2026. His fearless spirit, technical excellence, and unwavering resolve have earned India another moment of pride on the international stage. May he continue to scale greater heights and inspire a new generation of judokas," he said.

In another X post, Rajnath Singh praised Asmita Dey for winning the women's 48kg judo gold medal, crediting her success to her dedication, focused training and determination while wishing her continued success.

"Phenomenal effort by Asmita Dey! Delighted that she has won the gold medal in the women's 48kg judo event at the Commonwealth Games 2026. Her success at the #CWG26 is due to her commitment, focused training and full determination. I am sure she will continue to make India proud in the times to come," he said.

Harsh produced a disciplined display to secure India's second judo gold medal of the Games after Asmita Dey's gold medal-winning performance in the 48kg judo earlier in the day.

Katz began the final aggressively, looking to seize an early advantage, but Harsh defended resolutely and denied the Australian any scoring opportunities. Both judokas exchanged attacks during the opening stages, with neither able to gain a decisive edge.

The Australian came close to pinning Harsh at one stage, but the Indian escaped the hold before immediately launching a counterattack of his own. Despite the flurry of action, neither judoka managed to register a score for much of the contest.

At the 3:19 mark, Harsh delivered the decisive moment of the final. He executed a perfectly timed throw before pinning Katz to earn a Waza-Ari, which proved enough to secure the victory and the Commonwealth Games title.

Meanwhile, Asmita's final bout 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. (ANI)