Anurag Thakur Hails Asmita Dey's Historic CWG 2026 Judo Gold
Synopsis
Asmita Dey has become India's first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medallist, winning the Women's 48kg title at CWG 2026. BJP MP Anurag Thakur, former sports minister, celebrated the historic feat and highlighted Dey's identity as a Khelo India athlete, linking the grassroots programme to this landmark podium finish.
Key Takeaways
Asmita Dey won gold in Women's 48kg Judo at CWG 2026 on 1 August 2026 .
She is India's first-ever judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal.
Dey is a Khelo India athlete, supported under the government's flagship grassroots sports development programme.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, publicly celebrated the achievement on X.
The Khelo India scheme was launched in 2017 to identify and nurture young sporting talent across disciplines including combat sports.
India has its first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medallist — and her name is Asmita Dey. BJP MP Anurag Thakur, former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, celebrated the landmark victory on Saturday, 1 August 2026, calling Dey 'The Golden Judoka' and 'India's daughter' in an emotional post on X.
A First for Indian Judo at the Commonwealth Games
Asmita Dey claimed gold in the Women's 48kg Judo category at CWG 2026, writing her name into the record books as the first Indian judoka to stand on the top step of the Commonwealth Games podium. No Indian judo player — male or female — had achieved this before. The milestone lands not just as a personal triumph but as a watershed moment for a combat sport that has long toiled in India's sporting margins.
Khelo India's Fingerprints on the Gold
Thakur was quick to flag that Dey competes as a Khelo India athlete — a pointed nod to the flagship government programme launched in 2017 to identify and nurture grassroots talent across disciplines, including combat sports. The scheme provides selected athletes with structured coaching, competition exposure, and financial support. Dey's gold is the kind of outcome the programme was designed to produce, and its champions are now making the case on the biggest multi-sport stages.
From Hamirpur to the Global Stage
Thakur, who represented the sports ministry as Union Minister before returning to Parliament, has consistently championed India's medal ambitions at events like the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. His post — ending with 'Jai Hind' and the tricolour — reflects the pride that attaches to a genuine first: not a bronze that edges into the record books, but a gold that rewrites them. India's judo community now has a name to rally around and a benchmark to chase.
With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, Dey's historic gold arrives at the right moment — proof that India's investment in combat sports is beginning to compound.
Point of View
Who stewarded the sports ministry and championed the programme, the timing of this public celebration is also a political statement: that policy-backed athlete development yields podium results. The achievement adds to a broader pattern of Indian governments leveraging international medals to build public confidence in domestic sports schemes. With the 2028 Olympics approaching, Dey's name will now feature prominently in the narrative around India's combat-sports pipeline.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Asmita Dey win at CWG 2026?
Asmita Dey won the gold medal in the Women's 48kg Judo event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games , making her the first Indian judoka to win gold at the Commonwealth Games.
What is the Khelo India scheme?
Khelo India is a flagship Government of India programme launched in 2017 to promote grassroots sports and provide structured coaching, competition exposure, and financial support to talented young athletes across disciplines including combat sports.
What did Anurag Thakur say about Asmita Dey's gold medal?
BJP MP Anurag Thakur called Dey 'The Golden Judoka' and 'India's daughter,' congratulating her on scripting history and noting her identity as a Khelo India athlete.
Has India ever won a judo gold at the Commonwealth Games before?
No. Asmita Dey's gold at CWG 2026 is the first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold won by an Indian athlete, male or female.
