Indian judoka Yamini Mourya shares her candid reflections on winning a silver medal at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, revealing how a single mistake cost her the coveted gold.
IMAGE: Yamini Mourya believes that staying calmer and trusting her game could have led to a gold medal victory, as her opponent was under pressure. Photograph: SAI Media/X
Key Points
- Indian judoka Yamini Mourya secured a silver medal in the women’s 57kg category at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
- Yamini had complete belief in winning gold, even setting it as her phone wallpaper, but felt a single mistake altered the outcome.
- She attributed her loss in the final against England’s Acelya Toprak to an aggressive approach and a crucial third Shido penalty.
- India achieved a significant improvement in judo at the 2026 Games, securing four medals, including two golds, spearheaded by Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh.
Indian judoka Yamini Mourya reflected on her 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medal, saying she had entered the competition with complete belief that she would win gold.
Yamini revealed that she had even set a gold medal as her phone wallpaper, but felt a single mistake changed the outcome of the contest.
Yamini secured a silver medal in the women’s 57kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after a closely contested final against England’s Acelya Toprak.
Yamini battled for nearly seven minutes in a high-intensity contest before suffering an Ippon defeat after receiving her third Shido penalty during the Golden Score period. The victory secured the gold medal for Toprak, while Yamini settled for a hard-earned silver for India.
Yamini Mourya’s Commonwealth Games Journey
“Before the competition, I was convinced I would win the gold medal. I had even set a picture of the gold medal as my phone wallpaper because I truly believed it was going to be mine. My confidence never wavered. But one mistake changed everything, and things didn’t turn out the way I had imagined,” Yamini told ANI.
Yamini admitted that her aggressive approach and the crucial third Shido penalty proved decisive. She stressed that staying patient and trusting her game could have changed the outcome, as she felt her opponent was under pressure and likely to make a mistake.
“I replayed the final in my mind four or five times. Looking back, I realised that the last Shido I received changed everything. If I had stayed calmer instead of becoming too aggressive, I think the result could have been different. I should have trusted my game and waited for my opponent to make a mistake, because that’s what was happening. Instead, I made the mistake. Had I remained patient and controlled my aggression, I believe I could have won,” she added.
India’s Historic Judo Performance
Born on March 26, 1998, in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Yamini Mourya has represented India at several major international competitions, including the World Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championships and the IJF World Tour. A multiple-time senior national champion, Yamini has been a consistent presence on the international judo circuit since 2022.
India competed in 12 judo events in Glasgow, securing four medals, two gold, one silver and one bronze, a significant improvement from the three-medal haul without a gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The historic campaign was spearheaded by Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh, who became the first Indian judokas to win Commonwealth Games gold medals. Asmita created history by becoming the first Indian woman judoka to claim a gold medal at the Games, while Harsh achieved the same milestone in the men’s category.
The Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also honoured the judo contingent, which scripted India’s best-ever Commonwealth Games campaign. The medal winners were presented cash awards of Rs 30 lakh for gold, Rs 20 lakh for silver and Rs 10 lakh for bronze.
