New Delhi: India scripted history at the Commonwealth Games 2026 as Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh became the country’s first ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medallists, ending a long wait for the top prize in the sport.
Asmita Dey created history by becoming the first Indian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal after defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach in the women’s 48kg final. The closely contested bout was decided in golden score, where the 23 year old Indian produced a decisive attack to secure victory and clinch the historic title.
Asmita reached the final after defeating Scotland’s Eva Ewing in the quarterfinals and fellow Indian Summer Shaw in the semifinals. Before her triumph, India had won only five silver and six bronze medals in judo across previous editions of the Commonwealth Games.
Later in the day, Harsh Singh added another landmark achievement by winning India’s second gold medal in judo. The 23 year old defeated Australia’s Joshua Katz in the men’s 60kg final, claiming the biggest title of his career in his debut Commonwealth Games appearance.
Harsh delivered a composed tactical performance against the experienced Australian Olympian. After a tightly contested contest, he executed a decisive waza ari with just 41 seconds remaining to take the lead before successfully defending his advantage until the final whistle.
On his way to the gold medal, Harsh recorded convincing victories over Chikondi Kathewera in the Round of 16, Alan Monthouel in the quarterfinals and Pedro Carlos Antun Neto in the semifinals.
The twin victories lifted India’s gold medal tally at the Commonwealth Games 2026 to five. Earlier, weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu opened India’s gold medal account, followed by para athlete Sharmila Dhankar in the women’s F57 shot put and sprinter Dilip Gavit in the men’s T47 100 metres.
With Harsh and Asmita’s historic victories, India’s overall medal tally rose to 19 medals, comprising five gold, 10 silver and four bronze, while more medals are expected as Indian athletes continue their campaign across multiple disciplines.
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