Tripura has honoured judoka Asmita Dey for her historic gold medal-winning performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, recognising an achievement that has brought national attention to the northeastern state. Chief Minister Manik Saha felicitated the 23-year-old athlete at a reception organised by the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports at Rabindra Bhavan in Agartala on Wednesday.
As part of the recognition, the Tripura government presented Dey with a cheque for Rs 10 lakh and handed over a land allotment document to her family. The land is intended to help the athlete’s family construct a house in Agartala. The support comes after the state government learnt about the family’s housing difficulties and decided to provide assistance following Dey’s success at the Commonwealth Games.
Dey made history in Glasgow by becoming the first Indian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. She secured the women’s 48kg title after a tense final against Canada’s Heidi Quach. The contest remained closely fought through regulation time before moving into the golden-score period, where Dey eventually produced the decisive move to complete a memorable comeback.
Her victory was significant not only for Indian judo but also for Tripura, a state that has increasingly produced athletes capable of competing on major national and international platforms. Dey’s gold added another prominent name to Tripura’s sporting success story and is expected to encourage more young people in the state to consider competitive sport as a serious career.
Speaking at the felicitation, Chief Minister Manik Saha described Dey’s success as a matter of pride for both Tripura and India. He highlighted her determination, concentration and resilience, while also recalling the struggles faced by her family. Saha said Dey had emerged as another sporting icon for the state after gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who had earlier earned widespread recognition for Tripura through her international achievements.
Saha also assured Dey that the state government would continue to support her sporting career, even though she is currently employed under the Home Department of the Uttar Pradesh government. The Chief Minister said the recognition was meant not merely to reward one medal but also to acknowledge the years of training, discipline and sacrifice that went into achieving success at the highest level.
Dey’s journey to the Commonwealth Games gold medal has been built over several years. She was born in Belonia in South Tripura and comes from an ordinary family. Her father, Arjun Kumar Dey, runs a bicycle repair shop. Before taking up judo, Asmita competed in the 800 metres in athletics. Encouraged by a coach to switch disciplines, she eventually found her calling in judo.
She began training at the Belonia Vidyapeeth Coaching Centre under coach Bina Debnath before moving to the Tripura Sports School, where she trained under Manik Lal Deb. Her performances later earned her a place at the Sports Authority of India Regional Centre in Bhopal in 2018. There, she trained under coach Yashpal Solanki and became part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme development programme.
Her breakthrough on the international stage came in 2022 when she became the first athlete from Tripura to win an international judo medal at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Competition in Thailand. In 2023, she won gold in the women’s 48kg category at the Junior Asia Cup in Macau and followed it with a silver at the Asian Open in Kuwait.
Dey continued to make progress at senior level, winning her first senior international title at the Casablanca African Open in Morocco in 2025. She also finished fifth at the 2026 Asian Senior Championships, strengthening her position among India’s leading judokas. Her domestic record includes titles at the Khelo India University Games and a junior national championship during the 2023-24 season.
The Tripura government’s felicitation also focused on the wider role of sports in the development of young people. Saha said education should be accompanied by participation in sports and pointed to the state’s growing sports infrastructure, including synthetic football and hockey fields and upgraded stadium facilities. He said Tripura has considerable sporting talent and that athletes from the state are increasingly earning recognition beyond the region.
The Chief Minister further said there is now a strong opportunity for young people to pursue sports professionally. For aspiring athletes and judokas in Tripura, Dey’s rise from Belonia to the Commonwealth Games podium offers a powerful example of how sustained training, family support and determination can translate into international success.
