Asmita Dey clinches gold in the Women’s 48kg judo event against Canada’s Heidi Quach, while Harsh Singh secures victory over Australia’s Joshua Katz in the Men’s 60kg final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on July 31, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Indian judokas added to the country’s celebrations by clinching two historic gold medals at the Commonwealth Games at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow on Friday (July 31, 2026).
Asmita Dey defeated Heidi Quach of Canada 2-1 in the 48kg women’s final while Harsh Singh stunned Joshua Katz of Australia, who was the reigning bronze medallist, 10-0 in the men’s 60kg summit clash.
Asmita Dey became the first Indian judoka to win a CWG gold medal.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Trailing 0-1, Asmita was under pressure as she had received a penalty. Unfazed, the 23-year-old from Belonia, South Tripura, pinned her opponent to level the scores. After the four-minute regulation time, the contest went into the Golden Score period.
Asmita executed her plans with a decisive attack to score a famous 2-1 win.
Harsh celebrates his triumph.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Later, Harsh largely controlled the pace of the contest as both judokas went after each other, but the Indian’s strategy was better equipped to handle the pressure. The breakthrough eventually came when Harsh executed a well-timed attack to take a 10-0 lead and the Indian jumped high in the air to celebrate the huge win.
Editorial: Diminishing relevance: On the Commonwealth Games
The death of Asmita’s father Arjun Kumar Dey remains etched in her mind so much so that when she came to the mixed zone, a question about him made her emotional. “My father was very supportive. After his death in 2015, it was difficult for us. Uttar Pradesh Police helped me in getting a job. I would like to thank my coach, Yashpal Solanki, who trained me at the National Centre of Excellence (Bhopal).”
Published – July 31, 2026 09:35 pm IST
