India's Asmita Dey produced a spirited comeback to clinch the women's 48kg judo gold medal, defeating Canada's Heidi Quach in a dramatic golden score contest at the Commonwealth Games. The 23-year-old came from behind after being handed a penalty but dug deep in a stunning win in front of a cheering crowd in Glasgow.
A native of Belonia in South Tripura, she switched from athletics to judo at a young age before moving to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Bhopal to train under experienced coaches. She has since emerged as a regular member of the Indian national team.
Dey has built an impressive record at both the junior and senior levels. She won gold at the 2023 Junior Asia Cup in Macau and followed it up with a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Open in Kuwait. On the domestic circuit, she is a multiple-time Khelo India University Games champion and has also claimed the Junior National title.
Ever since the introduction of judo as a medal sport in CWG in the 1990 in Auckland, Indian judokas have won medals at all editions but never secured a top-of-the-podium finish. In the space of an hour, India bagged two - with Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh both creating history.
