India, Aug. 3 -- In 36 years of judo at the Commonwealth Games - and just as many years of India competing in it - the country won its first gold only in 2026. That gold belongs to Asmita Dey, a Sub-Inspector with the Uttar Pradesh Police, whose job with the force has quietly supported her judo career and family alike.

Born in a humble household in Belonia, Tripura, to a father who ran a small bicycle repair shop, Asmita's dream was always bigger than their means - but he never let that stop her. Barely seven months before Glasgow, in December 2025, he passed away - a loss so fresh, Asmita wasn't sure she'd ever step on the mat again.

"The little girl in me is proud of what I've become. But I miss my guardian angel... my dad. He was the...