CWG 2026: Asmita, Harsh strike gold in judo, India’s medal tally reaches 19

GLASGOW: India enjoyed a memorable day at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Friday as judokas Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh clinched gold medals, while the boxing contingent produced a dominant show with five pugilists booking their places in the finals by the halfway stage and are assured of at least a silver medal each.

The Indian judo team scripted a golden chapter in Glasgow on the ninth day of the games, with Asmita winning the women’s 48kg title before Harsh followed it up with gold in the men’s 60kg category. Their victories marked India’s first-ever judo gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and strengthened the country’s medal tally at the ongoing edition.

HISTORIC GOLD!

Asmita Dey creates history, becoming the first Indian judoka to win Commonwealth Games Gold, defeating her opponent by Yuko in the Women’s -48kg Final.

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Asmita delivered a composed performance in a tense women’s 48kg final against Canada’s Heidi Quach. The contest remained tightly fought throughout, with both judokas battling for control and neither giving the other much room to attack, accoridng to ESPN.

Quach struck first with a throw to take the lead, but Asmita responded under pressure. After receiving a Shido penalty, the Indian stepped up her aggression and produced a quick throw to level the scores. The bout remained locked at the end of regulation time, forcing the contest into Golden Score.

#WATCH | कॉमनवेल्थ गेम्स 2026 | ग्लासगो, स्कॉटलैंड | भारतीय एथलीट और जूडो खिलाड़ी अस्मिता डे महिलाओं के 48 किग्रा वर्ग के फ़ाइनल में गोल्ड मेडल जीतने पर भावुक हुईं।

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With the first score in extra time deciding the winner, Asmita held her nerve and executed a well-timed throw near the edge of the mat to secure the decisive point and seal a memorable gold medal.

Earlier in the day, Asmita had battled through a gruelling semifinal against Scotland’s Sumer Shaw, the four-time senior British champion. The Indian won the contest by Yuko (1-0) after the match entered Golden Score, which lasted over six minutes, accoridng to ESPN.

Harsh Singh then added another golden moment for India by defeating Australia’s Joshua Katz in the men’s 60kg final. The Indian judoka produced a disciplined performance against an aggressive opponent. Katz attempted to seize control early, but Harsh’s defence remained strong as he denied the Australian any scoring opportunities.

The contest stayed scoreless for much of the bout before Harsh found the breakthrough at the 3:19 mark. He executed a perfectly timed throw and followed it with a pin to earn a Waza-Ari (10-0), which proved enough to secure victory and the Commonwealth Games title, accoridng to ESPN.

Harsh’s triumph marked India’s second judo gold medal of the Games and its fifth gold medal overall in Glasgow.

Another golden milestone for Indian judo!

Harsh Singh becomes India’s second Commonwealth Games judo champion with a historic gold at #Glasgow2026.

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India’s boxers also continued their impressive campaign, with five pugilists reaching the gold medal bouts by the halfway stage of the day.

Reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria was among the standout performers, producing a dominant display to defeat Lesotho’s Rapelang Maselela in the women’s 57kg semifinal via Referee Stop Contest (RSC). Jaismine controlled the bout from the beginning, winning the opening round 5-0 before forcing the referee to stop the contest in the second round after multiple standing counts. She will face Northern Ireland’s Michaela Walsh in the final.

Arundhati Choudhary also secured a place in the final in the women’s 70kg category after defeating defending champion Rosie Eccles of Wales in a closely fought semifinal. Arundhati impressed with her effective counter-punching and secured a 4-0 split decision victory.

In the men’s 80kg semifinal, Ankush Panghal continued India’s strong boxing run with a unanimous decision win over Canada’s Joshua Ofori. Ankush showcased superior accuracy and movement, taking all three rounds on the judges’ scorecards to enter the final.

Preeti Pawar also stormed into the women’s 54kg final after a commanding performance against Zambia’s Catherine Mwape. The Indian boxer used her speed, movement and powerful combinations to dominate the contest, securing a unanimous 5-0 victory. She will face Canada’s Scarlett Delgado in the title clash.

Jadumani Singh completed India’s strong showing in boxing by reaching the men’s 55kg final. He defeated Namibia’s Philip Pumulo Mutakela Haoseb by unanimous decision after winning all three rounds. Jadumani, who has been unbeaten throughout the tournament, will face Australia’s Jye Dixon in the final.

The gold medal victories took India’s overall gold tally at the Games to five. The country has now secured 19 medals in Glasgow – five gold, nine silver and five bronze.

India’s gold medallists are Mirabai Chanu (women’s 48kg weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (women’s shot put F57), Dilip Gavit (men’s 100m T47), Asmita Dey (women’s 48kg judo) and Harsh Singh (men’s 60kg judo). The country’s silver medals have come through Rishikanta Singh, Muthupandi Raja, Gyaneshwari Yadav, Sarvesh Kushare, Valluri Ajaya Babu, Harjinder Kaur, Gulveer Singh, Murali Sreeshankar, Mohammed Basil and Lovepreet Singh, while bronze medals have been won by Jhandu Kumar, Bindyarani Devi, Shilpa K Shyla and Seema Kaliramna. (ANI)