Indian judoka Asmita Dey clinched the women’s -48kg gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach in a gripping final that went into Golden Score. Asmita prevailed by Yuko (2-1) with a composed and determined display, earning India’s first judo gold medal of the Games.
The final began as a closely contested affair, with both judokas engaged in intense grappling and repeatedly forcing each other towards the edge of the mat. Quach struck first midway through the contest with a throw to take the lead.
The Indian responded strongly despite receiving a Shido penalty, producing a quick throw of her own to level the scores. Asmita grew in confidence as the bout progressed, launching several attacking moves while defending resolutely against Quach’s attempts to regain the advantage, according to ESPN.
With the scores tied at the end of regulation time, the contest entered Golden Score, where the first scoring action would decide the winner. Asmita held her nerve in the extra period and executed a well-timed throw near the edge of the mat to secure the decisive Yuko, dramatically sealing the gold medal.
The victory capped an outstanding campaign for the Indian judoka, who had earlier overcome Scotland’s Sumer Shaw in a hard-fought semifinal to book her place in the title clash. In another match of men’s Judo, Indian judoka Harsh Singh clinched the men’s 60kg gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after defeating Australia’s Joshua Katz by Waza-Ari (10-0) in the final on Friday, according to ESPN.
Harsh produced a disciplined display to secure India’s second judo gold medal of the Games after Asmita Dey’s gold medal-winning performance in the 48kg judo earlier in the day. Katz began the final aggressively, looking to seize an early advantage, but Harsh defended resolutely and denied the Australian any scoring opportunities. Both judokas exchanged attacks during the opening stages, with neither able to gain a decisive edge.
The Australian came close to pinning Harsh at one stage, but the Indian escaped the hold before immediately launching a counterattack of his own. Despite the flurry of action, neither judoka managed to register a score for much of the contest. At the 3:19 mark, Harsh delivered the decisive moment of the final. He executed a perfectly timed throw before pinning Katz to earn a Waza-Ari, which proved enough to secure the victory and the Commonwealth Games title. Harsh’s triumph earned India its second judo gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Indian judoka Yamini Maurya settled for a silver medal in the women’s 57kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after a hard-fought final against England’s Acelya Toprak, who prevailed in a marathon contest lasting nearly seven minutes.
The title bout went the distance and entered the Golden Score period after both judokas failed to register a decisive score in regulation time. With the contest turning into a battle of endurance and discipline, Yamini eventually lost by Ippon after accumulating a third Shido (penalty), handing the gold medal to the world No. 13 English judoka.
Toprak, one of the pre-event favourites, maintained sustained attacking pressure throughout the contest, while Yamini displayed resolute defence to stay in the fight. The Indian judoka successfully escaped several hold-down attempts and forced the match into Golden Score despite receiving two Shidos during regulation time. Toprak had also been penalised once for non-combativity before the decisive extra period.
