Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medallist Asmita Dey‘s first phone call after her historic victory was not about records or medals. It was about her late father. The emotional conversation with her mother, Munna Dey, has revealed the deeply personal story behind the 23-year-old judoka’s rise from a remote Tripura village to international glory.
Agartala/Belonia: The celebrations are continuing across Tripura. Young and elders, men and women are in a jovial mood and expressing their joy at the success of Asmita Dey at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on July 31. Her native village, the entire Belonia sub-division along with the State erupted in joy as the report of her historic achievement spread like wildfire.
Mother recalls the first call after gold
Soon after winning the women’s 48kg judo gold medal, Asmita Dey called her mother, Munna Dey, from Glasgow.
Her first words reflected both joy and emotion.
“Maa, I have won the gold medal. Are you happy?” Asmita asked.
Munna Dey replied that she was “extremely happy” and proud of her daughter’s achievement.
But the conversation soon turned emotional.
Asmita remembered her late father, Arjun Dey.
She told her mother that her father would have been the happiest person if he had been alive to witness the historic moment.
“If my father had been here today, he would have been so happy. Now he cannot see this moment,” Asmita told her mother.
Munna Dey comforted her daughter with words that carried hope and faith.
“Your father is watching everything. He is still with you,” she replied.
The conversation captured the emotional weight behind India’s latest Commonwealth Games gold medal.
A father’s dream lives on
Asmita grew up in South Sonaichhari village under Belonia subdivision in South Tripura.
Her father earned a modest living as a bicycle mechanic. He made around Rs 300 a day.
Despite limited income, he never allowed financial hardship to stop his daughter’s sporting dreams.
He supported every stage of her journey.
Last December, Arjun Dey died after suffering a brain stroke.
His death deeply affected the young judoka.
Later, Asmita admitted that she thought her dreams had ended with her father’s passing.
Mother became her biggest strength
Munna Dey refused to let grief end her daughter’s career.
Just ten days after completing the family’s traditional funeral rituals, she asked Asmita to return to training.
Her message became a turning point.
“If I stop you today, your father will think I am the one who broke your dreams.”
Those words gave Asmita fresh determination.
She packed her bags and returned to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre in Bhopal.
That decision eventually led her to the Commonwealth Games podium.
Judo was always her first choice
Munna Dey said her daughter showed interest in judo from childhood.
“She focused only on her studies and judo. She never wanted to pursue athletics or any other sport,” she said.
Asmita started practising judo at the age of six or seven.
She travelled regularly from South Sonaichhari to the Belonia Vidyapith Coaching Centre for training.
Her first coach was Bina Debnath.
Munna Dey credits Debnath with introducing Asmita to the sport and laying the foundation for her career.
Coach saw a champion early
Coach Bina Debnath said Asmita stood out from the beginning.
She described her as disciplined, dedicated and highly focused.
According to Debnath, Asmita progressed from the Belonia Vidyapith Coaching Centre to a sports school and later joined the Sports Authority of India training centre in Bhopal.
The coach believes discipline and perseverance helped Asmita reach the highest level.
Today, she uses Asmita’s journey to inspire young athletes in Tripura.
A historic achievement for India
The 23-year-old judoka defeated Canada’s Heidi Quach in the women’s 48kg final to win the Commonwealth Games gold medal.
The victory made her the first Indian judoka to win gold in the women’s 48kg category at the Commonwealth Games.
Asmita currently serves in the Uttar Pradesh Government’s Police Department.
Her success has sparked celebrations across Belonia, South Sonaichhari village and the entire state of Tripura.
Enewstime Editors’ Perspective: More than a gold medal
Asmita Dey’s victory is not just a sporting milestone.
“It is the story of a village girl who refused to give up.
Her success is a tale of a father who believed in impossible dreams.
It is also a gritty story of a mother whose words turned grief into determination”, a Belonia resident Snehasish Chakraborty told the Enewstime Desk.
When Asmita stood on the podium wearing the gold medal, she fulfilled not only her own dream but also the dream of the father who never stopped believing in her.
