Who is Asmita Dey? The 23-year-old who won India's first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold

Indian judoka Asmita Dey won the women's 48kg gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after defeating Canada's Heidi Quach in a thrilling final that was decided in Golden Score on Friday.

The 23-year-old secured a 2-1 Yuko victory with a composed and resilient performance, delivering India's first judo gold medal of the Games.

The final began as a closely fought contest, with both judokas locked in intense exchanges and regularly forcing each other to the edge of the mat. Quach gained the early advantage midway through the bout after executing a successful throw to take the lead, but Asmita fought back to script a memorable comeback and claim the title.

Who is Asmita?

Asmita Dey has emerged as one of India's brightest judo prospects, establishing herself as a rising star in the women's 48kg category through consistent performances at both the junior and senior levels.

The 23-year-old from Belonia in Tripura's South Tripura district did not begin her sporting career in judo. She was initially an 800m runner before discovering the sport during a district-level trial. The switch proved to be a turning point, setting her on the path to becoming one of India's top judokas.

Recognising her potential, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) inducted Asmita into its training programme before she was included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) development group. She trains at the SAI Regional Centre in Bhopal under veteran coach Yashpal Solanki.

Asmita announced herself on the international stage by winning the women's 48kg gold medal at the 2023 Junior Asia Cup in Macau. She followed it up with a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Open in Kuwait before claiming her biggest senior international title at the 2025 Casablanca African Open in Morocco.

She continued her impressive rise in 2026, finishing fifth at the Asian Senior Championships after narrowly missing out on a podium finish against some of Asia's top-ranked judokas.

At the domestic level, Asmita has been equally dominant, winning multiple gold medals at the Khelo India University Games and emerging as the Junior National Champion in 2023-24.

Her breakthrough came at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she scripted history by winning India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women's 48kg judo event. She defeated Canada's Heidi Quach in a dramatic final that went into Golden Score, producing a remarkable comeback to seal the title.

Major achievements

• Gold medal – Women's 48kg, 2026 Commonwealth Games
• Gold medal – 2025 Casablanca African Open (Morocco)
• Gold medal – 2023 Junior Asia Cup (Macau)
• Silver medal – 2023 Asian Open (Kuwait)
• Fifth place – 2026 Asian Senior Championships
• Multiple-time Khelo India University Games gold medallist
• Junior National Champion (2023-24)