In a remarkable display of skill and determination, 20-year-old Asmita Dey from Tripura clinched a gold medal at the Junior Asia Cup Judo Championship held in Macau, China on Sunday.
Asmita’s journey in the championship began with a powerful performance in Group D during the preliminary round, where she showcased her prowess by securing a decisive victory over Hong Kong’s Suet Yiu Tang. Her exceptional performance earned her a well-deserved bye in the main opening round.
Continuing her winning streak, the 20-year-old Indian judoka, who had previously won one silver medal in the Asian Open 2023 held in Kuwait City in April and one bronze medal in the Asian Junior Championships 2022, advanced to the semi-finals. There, she faced off against Australia’s Ashlyn Do and emerged triumphant, setting the stage for a final.
In the gold medal match of the 48 kg category, Asmita demonstrated her skill and determination once again as she outperformed Australia’s Anneliese Fielder, securing the top spot on the podium and clinching the prestigious gold medal.
Asmita’s victory was met with widespread praise and admiration, with her former coach Manik Lal De expressing his joy and satisfaction with the young athlete’s incredible success.
Besides, Unnati Sharma in women’s 63kg and Arun Kumar in men’s 73 kg won gold medals in their respective weight categories as India bagged three gold, one silver and one bronze in the Junior Asia Cup Judo Championships here on Sunday.
India’s second gold in the women’s section on Sunday came from Unnati Sharma who made it to the knockout rounds by beating Ian I Lei of Macau in Pool C.
In the semifinal, Unnati defeated Maralmaa Khurelchuluun of Mongolia and then got the better of Australia’s Ryley Rametta in the final to win gold.
In the men’s 73 kg, India’s Arun Kumar started with a win against Dimitrios Giantsios of Australia in Pool A and then beat South Korea’s Jimin Lim, who started with S Zaya of Mongolia, to top Pool A.
In the semifinal, Arun Kumar defeated Maimani Abdulraouf of Saudi Arabia and in the final, beat Kohsei Toyoshima of Australia to win the gold medal.
Yash Ghangas won the silver medal in +100 kg while Shraddha Kadubal Chopade bagged the bronze medal in the women’s 52kg as India had a good day in the event being held in Macau China.