India’s judokas scripted history at the Commonwealth Games on Friday as Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh clinched the country’s first-ever gold medals in the sport, while Yamini Mourya added a silver to cap the nation’s best-ever judo campaign.
India finished the competition with two gold and one silver medal, marking its finest performance since judo was introduced as a medal sport at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. Before Friday, Indian judokas had won medals at every edition but had never stood on the top step of the podium.
The 23-year-old Asmita from Tripura became the first Indian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold after producing a stirring comeback to beat Canada’s Heidi Quach in the women's 48kg final. Trailing after conceding a yuko and a penalty early in the bout, Asmita fought back to level the contest before holding her nerve in the golden score period, where she scored a decisive yuko to seal a memorable victory.
A few minutes later, Harsh ensured India’s historic double by becoming the country’s first male Commonwealth Games judo champion. Competing in his maiden Games, the 23-year-old Harsh upset Australia's experienced Olympian Joshua Katz in the men's 60kg final. Locked in a tactical battle, Harsh struck with a superb waza-ari with just 41 seconds left and defended resolutely to deny the decorated Australian, a bronze medallist at the Birmingham Games and multiple-time Oceania champion.
Yamini Mourya came agonisingly close to making it a golden treble but settled for silver after losing to England's Acelya Toprak in the women’s 57kg final. The title clash remained scoreless through regulation time before extending into a gripping golden score contest.
Indian women pugilists bag two gold medals
Indian boxer Preeti Pawar secured the women’s 54kg gold medal after defeating Canada’s Scarlett Delgado by unanimous decision in the final on Saturday. This was followed by another gold by Jaismine Lamboria in the women’s 57kg category. She defeated reigning champion Michaela Walsh 5-0 by unanimous decision in the final on Saturday.
Tejaswin overcomes injury to script historic first for India
National record holder Tejaswin Shankar overcame a long-standing knee injury and scripted history as he became the first Indian to win a decathlon medal at the Commonwealth Games, clinching bronze here on Friday. Tejaswin collected a total of 7,976 points in the gruelling 10-event discipline, competed over two days. He was competing despite having chronic patellar tendinitis (jumper’s knee), which led to his pulling out of the men's high jump event earlier in the Glasgow Games.
A heartbroken Tejaswin was in tears after being forced to withdraw from the high jump event following his opening attempt due to a flare-up of the long-standing issue. It was his second Commonwealth Games medal after the high jump bronze in the 2022 edition in Birmingham. His national record stands at 8,057 points.
The 27-year-old, who also won a decathlon silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, was second overnight after five events behind Canada's Damian Warner, who eventually took silver with 8,036 points.
Tejaswin rose to prominence in the high jump after setting the Indian national record of 2.29m in 2018. He further cemented his place in Indian athletics history at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he won a bronze medal, becoming the first Indian male high jumper to secure a medal at the Games.
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