'Asmita's Gold will Transform Judo': Munawar Anzar on Asmita Dey's Historic Commonwealth Games Gold | Exclusive

India's Asmita Dey etched her name into the record books by becoming the country's first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medallist, clinching the women's -48kg title at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Friday.

The 23-year-old from Tripura produced a remarkable comeback in the final against Canada's Heidi Quach. After conceding an early score, Asmita responded with tremendous composure to level the contest, forcing the bout into the decisive Golden Score period. Displaying exceptional tactical awareness and resilience, the Indian judoka seized her opportunity to secure the winning score and claim a historic gold medal.

Asmita's path to the title reflected her consistency throughout the competition. She began her campaign with a commanding ippon victory over Scotland's Eva Ewing in the quarter-finals before edging another Scottish judoka, Summer Shaw, in a hard-fought semi-final. That contest also extended beyond regulation time, with Asmita prevailing by yuko (1-0) after more than six minutes to book her place in the final.

The triumph marks a watershed moment for Indian judo. Before Glasgow 2026, India had never won a Commonwealth Games gold in the sport, with the country's previous best performances being three silver and five bronze medals.

A product of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Khelo India programmes, Asmita has steadily climbed the international ranks through consistent performances on the global circuit. She has been posted as a sub-inspector in Uttar Pradesh Police, and MyKhel talked with UP Judo's Munawar Anzar.

Anzar, who has been a flagbearer as an umpire in World arena, and the founder of Blind and Para Judo Association, spoke to MyKhel exclusively after Asmita's stunning Gold medal win.

"Asmita has scripted history. In below 48 kg, India wins a Gold, which is special. Asmita and others who play in lower weight category, they play with speed. Asmita's attack and movement is excellent, which has shown and benefited her," Anzar said MyKhel.

Who is Asmita Dey? Tripura-born UP Police SI scripts History for India with Judo Gold at CWG 2026

The former referee also hailed the recent renaissance of UP Judo, which has been garnering medals across competitions.

"In the last national games, UP got 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze. Earlier, we used to do well but there was a barren period in the middle. But the current generation of UP is flourishing because UP government are giving jobs to the judo medal winners. This has encouraged people and we have many international-level athletes in UP police. And this Gold for Asmit will also help the overall Judo scenario in Uttar Pradesh."

Anzar has mentored the likes of Kapil Parmar, who won a Bronze at the Paris Paralympic and created history for India, while Kokila, a visually impaired Judoka, won the Bronze in the Para Asian Games in 2022.