Glasgow: India secure historic judo golds at Commonwealth Games
India achieved a significant milestone in judo at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh each securing gold medals in their respective categories. This marked a historic day for Indian judo, as the nation claimed its first-ever gold medals in the sport at the Commonwealth Games.
Asmita Dey made history by becoming the first Indian female judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. She achieved this feat after defeating Canada‘s Heidi Quach in the women’s 48kg final. The final match was decided by yuko (2-1) following a golden score contest, securing India‘s inaugural judo gold at the event.
The 23-year-old from Tripura faced an early challenge in the final, falling behind after conceding a yuko and receiving a penalty, which gave Quach the lead. However, Asmita adopted a more aggressive approach, managing to level the contest at 1-1 shortly after the halfway point of the four-minute bout. Despite numerous exchanges, neither judoka could secure a winning score during regulation time, leading to a Golden Score period.
In the sudden-death period, Asmita maintained her composure and delivered a decisive attack, earning another yuko. This crucial move sealed the gold medal for India, marking a memorable victory.
Harsh Singh’s Gold Medal Victory
The celebrations for India continued as Harsh Singh secured the men’s 60kg gold medal. He triumphed over Australia‘s Joshua Katz with a waza-ari (10-0) in the final match. This victory marked India‘s second judo gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and established Harsh as the first male judoka from the country to win the title.
The 23-year-old, participating in his first Commonwealth Games, delivered a composed and tactically sound performance against the Australian Olympian, who was widely considered the favourite for the gold medal. Katz initiated the contest aggressively, but Harsh demonstrated strong defensive skills, preventing his opponent from gaining an early advantage.
Harsh patiently sought opportunities throughout the contest. At one point, Katz nearly pinned him, but the Indian judoka managed to escape and attempted to pin his opponent in return. Neither of these efforts resulted in points. With less than a minute remaining and no scores on the board, Harsh executed the winning move at the 3:19 mark of the four-minute bout. He performed a throw and pin that earned him a waza-ari, which was sufficient to secure the victory.
A waza-ari is the second-highest score in judo, providing a significant advantage. It is awarded for a throw that lacks one element required for an ippon, or for a ground hold lasting between 10 and 19 seconds. Two waza-aris are equivalent to one ippon, which immediately ends the match.
Despite his opponent’s distinguished background, Harsh remained calm throughout the contest, refusing to be intimidated by the occasion. Katz, a 28-year-old, has an impressive record, including multiple Oceania Championships and Australian national titles. He also represented Australia at the Olympics and earned a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Katz also hails from a notable judo family, with both his parents being former judokas, and his father having served as Australia‘s national judo coach at previous Olympic Games. This background further highlighted the significance of Harsh‘s breakthrough triumph, which stands as the finest achievement of his young career. His decisive waza-ari ultimately sealed the fate of the Australian opponent and delivered India its second judo gold of the day.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Priya Menon 