Ashmita Dey clinched the 52kg Commonwealth judo title in Birmingham on Sunday with a clean 3‑0 win over her final opponent, marking India’s first gold in the sport.
The 24‑year‑old smashed the semi‑final with a double‑leg throw in the last minute, then sealed the final with a powerful arm lock that left her opponent on the mat.
Her journey from a small village in Tripura to the world stage has been nothing short of a marathon. After a bronze at the 2022 Asian Junior Championships, she captured gold at the Junior Asia Cup in Macau and silver at the 2023 Asian Open in Kuwait, her confidence was already sky‑high.
But the road was paved with hunger and heartbreak. She recalls nights where the family had to share a single pot of rice, and the day her father died just weeks before the Commonwealth trials.
Coach Yashpal Solanki, a former Arjuna Awardee, told her to channel grief into determination, citing the Bhagavad Gita. Dey responded with a ferocious mindset, refusing to let emotions slow her down.
With this gold, India’s 32‑year judo drought at the Asian Games is poised to end. Dey is now eyeing the Asiad in Hangzhou, where she will face the top seeds in the 52kg bracket.