India, Aug. 3 -- A Sub-Inspector with the Uttar Pradesh Police, 23-year-old Asmita Dey became the first Indian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold. Yet, for Asmita, judo wasn't always the plan. "I just loved sports and started by taking up to athletics; from running to shotput, I played it all. But it was after a coach at my school spotted me that I got into judo and realised it was my true calling," she shares. Born in Belonia, Tripura, Asmita credits her win to her late father, who ran a bicycle repair shop before passing away in December 2025. "He was the one person who never made our situation feel like a limit on my dreams. When my knee gave way, he sold off what little he had and took me to Delhi for treatment," she says, adding, "I miss my guardian angel... my dad. When he passed, I thought everything was over... This medal is as much his as it is mine." On the podium, Asmita cupped her gold medal into a heart. Recalling the emotional moment, she says, "That wasn't planned. It was the gratitude I felt for my coach, Yashpal Solanki sir and for India, to make everyone back home feel like this medal was theirs too."...