CWG Judo Gold-Winner Asmita Dey Faces Uttar Pradesh Reward Eligibility Question. Here’s Why

India’s Asmita Dey etched her name in the history books by winning the country’s first-ever judo gold at the Commonwealth Games. She produced a spirited comeback to clinch the top honours in the women’s 48kg final, defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach in a dramatic Golden Score contest in Glasgow. The 23-year-old from Tripura found herself on the back foot early in the final after conceding a yuko and then receiving a penalty, allowing Quach to take control of the bout. However, Asmita responded brilliantly, attacking with greater intent and levelling the scores at 1-1 shortly after the midway stage of the four-minute contest.

Neither judoka could find the decisive score during regulation time despite a series of intense exchanges, forcing the match into the Golden Score period, where the first scoring action determines the winner.

Maintaining her composure under pressure, Asmita launched a decisive attack in sudden-death overtime and earned another yuko to seal a memorable victory and hand India the gold medal.

The triumph capped an impressive campaign for the young judoka, who showed remarkable resilience to recover from an early deficit and outfight her Canadian opponent in a gripping final.

Days after her victory, the Indian judoka finds herself in a bit of controversy over her eligibility for Uttar Pradesh’s state athlete benefits. It is worth noting that Asmita, who hails from Tripura, represents Uttar Pradesh in judo events. So, is she eligible for UP’s state rewards according to the August 2024 order?

If Asmita gets a green signal, she will receive a massive sum of Rs 1.5 crore for her achievement at the Games in Glasgow.

The August 2024 UP government order sets three criteria for athletes to be eligible for the state’s rewards. The athlete must be a bonafide domicile of Uttar Pradesh and must have enrolled in a recognised UP college/university for at least two years, apart from representing the state in international sporting events.

Practically, in Asmita’s case, assessing the eligibility criteria becomes tough. While the judoka hails from Tripura, she represents UP in national and international events. She has also been serving as a sub-inspector in the UP Police since 2023.

While talking about the list of athletes set to be awarded by the UP government, the state’s Sports Director, RP Singh, said on Tuesday that they are in the process of finalising the list of all winners and participants at CWG 2026 in Glasgow.

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