Her father earned Rs 300 a day; she was raised in a mud house. Today, Asmita Dey has become first Indian judoka to win gold at Commonwealth but is in no mood to celebrate: 'I thought everything had finished....'

Her father was a humble cycle mechanic who earned barely Rs 300 a day and dwelled in a mud house in a small village in Tripura. Today, Asmita Dey has become a trailblazer. The 23-year-old created history at the 2026 Commonwealth Games by claiming the gold medal in the women's 48 kg judo category, becoming the first Indian judoka ever to secure a Commonwealth Games gold. However, the one person she wanted to share her victory with was no longer in this world.

Her father passed away from a massive brain stroke several months ago.

According to PTI, Asmita's path to Commonwealth Games glory was marked by immense personal sacrifice and heartbreak. Speaking after her landmark victory, the emotional judoka said that losing her father made her feel as though her entire world had fallen apart because he had always been the driving force behind her sporting ambitions. Overcome with emotion, she admitted that holding back tears while reflecting on his memory was incredibly difficult.


Asmita shared that she grew up in a remote village in Tripura, where pursuing international sporting success was rarely considered possible. As per PTI, she explained that despite the limited aspirations around her, her father consistently encouraged her to chase ambitious goals and never allowed her to doubt her potential.

Financial struggles were a constant reality for the family. PTI reported that her father earned only about ₹300 a day repairing bicycles, an income that barely covered the family's daily expenses. They lived in a simple mud house, yet he remained determined that a lack of money would never prevent his daughter from pursuing judo.
When Asmita suffered a serious knee injury that threatened her sporting future, her father did everything he could to keep her career alive.

According to PTI, he took her to Delhi for medical treatment, arranged for medicines, and stretched his limited resources to ensure she recovered and returned to competition. Looking back on that period, Asmita acknowledged that he personally handled her treatment and medical expenses despite the family's financial hardship.

His unexpected death in December of the previous year shattered her emotionally. PTI reported that Asmita felt she had lost not only her father but also the person who had always believed in her abilities and inspired her to dream of competing on the biggest international stages. In the aftermath of his passing, she struggled to imagine continuing her journey.

However, her mother became the family's pillar of strength. As reported by PTI, only ten days after her husband's funeral, she encouraged Asmita to resume training instead of giving up. She reminded her daughter that abandoning the sport would mean letting go of the dreams her father had worked so hard to nurture, motivating her to continue the journey in his memory.

Determined to honour her parents' sacrifices, Asmita returned to the Sports Authority of India training centre in Bhopal and resumed preparing for the Commonwealth Games.