Asmita Dey on historic CWG judo triumph: Kept telling myself I’d return with gold
History was made in Glasgow when Asmita Dey became the first Indian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, but for the 23-year-old from Tripura, the triumph was the culmination of a promise she had made to herself long before boarding the flight to Scotland.
Competing in the women’s 48kg category, Asmita defeated Canada’s Heidi Quach in a gripping final that was decided in Golden Score, giving India its first-ever Commonwealth Games gold in judo. The landmark victory also came after an impressive rise on the international circuit, where she entered the Games ranked among the world’s top 50 judokas in her category.
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“Even before I boarded the flight to Glasgow, I had only one thing in my mind — I had to win the gold medal. I kept telling myself that I would return to India with the gold,” Asmita told PTI on the sidelines of the felicitation ceremony for the judo medallists at Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s residence on Tuesday.
A CHAMPION FORGED BY BELIEF AND RESILIENCE
The final, however, was anything but straightforward. Facing a Canadian opponent ranked just below her, Asmita admitted there was a brief moment when she feared the match was slipping away after conceding an early score.
“The competition was tough because my opponent in the final was from Canada. She was ranked just below me, so we were almost at the same level. When she scored against me, for a couple of seconds I thought I might lose.
“But my coach, Yashpal Solanki sir, kept reminding me that the gold was ours and that I had to win it. That gave me confidence. I became more aggressive, levelled the match and then it went into the Golden Score. I scored first in the Golden Score and won the gold medal,” she said.
For Asmita, the decisive factor was never physical strength but mental toughness.
“I believe that no matter how much we train, if you look at the players in my weight category in India, many of us undergo almost the same training. The real difference lies in the mindset.
“It is about who is mentally stronger, who can handle pressure better during competition, and who has greater confidence and self-belief. Those things matter the most. Physically, others may be as strong as me, but a strong mentality is what ultimately makes the difference,” she emphasised.
FROM A CHANCE TRIAL TO ASIAN GAMES GLORY
Asmita Dey’s journey to becoming India’s first Commonwealth Games judo champion began by chance in 2014 in her native Tripura. Encouraged by her uncle to attend trials for a sports school, she travelled with her cousin on a bicycle before heading to Agartala for the selection process. Her impressive performance caught the attention of coaches, who introduced her to judo, and she soon progressed from district to state champion.
Despite her historic Commonwealth Games gold, Asmita has already shifted her focus to the upcoming Asian Games. She resumed training almost immediately after the final despite a painful hand injury, underlining her belief in consistency.
The 48kg judoka is working to improve her ne-waza (ground techniques) to challenge powerhouses such as Japan, China and South Korea. She also hopes to train in Valencia and Japan before the Games, while continuing to rely on coach Yashpal Solanki and learning from videos of Japanese stars Hifumi Ono and Uta Abe.
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