CWG 2026: ‘ASMITA HAS BROUGHT GLORY TO TRIPURA

New Delhi, Aug 01, 2026 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday congratulated judoka Asmita Dey after she became the first Indian to win a gold medal in judo at the Commonwealth Games, describing her achievement as a proud moment for both the state and the nation.

“Asmita Dey, a daughter of Tripura, has once again brought glory to the state on the international stage. Her dedication, hard work, and self-confidence will continue to inspire the younger generation of the country,” Saha said.

The 23-year-old scripted history by defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach 2-1 in the women’s 48kg final through a dramatic Golden Score, securing India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in judo at the Glasgow 2026 Games.

Asmita’s title-winning campaign began with an ippon victory over Scotland’s Eva Ewing in the quarter-finals. She then edged past home favourite Summer Shaw in a closely contested semi-final before overcoming Quach in the final, sealing victory with a decisive Golden Score.

Born on March 22, 2003, in Belonia, Tripura, Asmita comes from a modest family. She is the daughter of Arjun Kumar Dey, who runs a bicycle repair shop. Initially an 800m runner, she switched to judo after a coach recognised her potential in the sport.

She began her training under Bina Debnath at the Belonia Vidyapeeth Coaching Centre before moving to the Tripura Sports School, where she trained under Manik Lal Deb. In 2018, she joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Bhopal, training under coach Yashpal Solanki, and later became part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Development Group.

Inspired by Indian judoka Avtar Singh and Japanese Olympic champion Uta Abe, Asmita has steadily risen through the ranks. She became the first judoka from Tripura to win an international medal at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Competition in 2022, followed by a gold medal at the 2023 Junior Asia Cup, a silver at the Asian Open in Kuwait, and her maiden senior international title at the 2025 African Open in Casablanca, Morocco.

Tripura Sports Minister Tinku Roy also congratulated the judoka on her landmark achievement.

“The entire nation of India is proud of the historic success of Tripura’s daughter Asmita Dey. Asmita’s unique achievement will inspire, encourage, and motivate countless athletes of the coming generation to dream and achieve bigger goals,” Roy said.