AGARTALA | Tripura’s Asmita Dey created history by becoming the first Indian judoka to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, clinching the women’s 48kg title at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The 23-year-old from Belonia produced a remarkable performance to secure India’s maiden Commonwealth Games gold in judo, marking a watershed moment for both the country and the northeastern state. Asmita advanced through a challenging draw, defeating Scotland’s Eva Ewing by ippon in the quarter-finals before overcoming another home favourite, Summer Shaw, in the semi-finals.

In the gold-medal bout, she faced Canada’s Heidi Quach in a closely contested encounter. Despite trailing during the contest, Asmita kept her composure, forced the match into Golden Score, and executed the decisive throw to seal a historic victory.

Born on March 22, 2003, in Belonia, South Tripura, Asmita hails from a humble family. Her father, Arjun Kumar Dey, runs a bicycle repair shop. Initially an athletics competitor in the 800 metres, she switched to judo after being encouraged by a coach, a decision that transformed her sporting career.

She began training under Bina Debnath at the Belonia Vidyapeeth Coaching Centre before joining the Tripura Sports School, where she trained under Manik Lal Deb. Her consistent performances later earned her admission to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre, Bhopal, in 2018, where she trained under coach Yashpal Solanki and became part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) development programme.

Asmita first made her mark internationally in 2022, becoming the first athlete from Tripura to win an international judo medal at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Competition in Thailand. She followed it up with a gold medal in the women’s 48kg category at the Junior Asia Cup in Macau in 2023 and a silver medal at the Asian Open in Kuwait.

In 2025, she claimed her maiden senior international title at the Casablanca African Open in Morocco, while a fifth-place finish at the 2026 Asian Senior Championships further established her among India’s leading judokas. On the domestic circuit, Asmita has won multiple titles at the Khelo India University Games and emerged as the junior national champion during the 2023-24 season.

Congratulating the judoka, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha described her achievement as a historic moment for both the state and the nation.

“Tripura’s daughter Asmita Dey creates history. A daughter of Tripura has once again brought glory to the state on the international stage. The talented judoka from Belonia has achieved a historic feat by winning the gold medal in the 48kg judo category at the Commonwealth Games,” the Chief Minister said in a social media post.

Asmita’s triumph is expected to provide a major boost to Indian judo while inspiring a new generation of athletes from Tripura and the Northeast to pursue excellence on the international stage.