Indian judoka Yamini Maurya settled for a silver medal in the women’s 57kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after a hard-fought final against England’s Acelya Toprak, who prevailed in a marathon contest lasting nearly seven minutes.
The title bout went the distance and entered the Golden Score period after both judokas failed to register a decisive score in regulation time. With the contest turning into a battle of endurance and discipline, Yamini eventually lost by Ippon after accumulating a third Shido (penalty), handing the gold medal to the world No. 13 English judoka.
Toprak, one of the pre-event favourites, maintained sustained attacking pressure throughout the contest, while Yamini displayed resolute defence to stay in the fight. The Indian judoka successfully escaped several hold-down attempts and forced the match into Golden Score despite receiving two Shidos during regulation time. Toprak had also been penalised once for non-combativity before the decisive extra period.
In Golden Score, both competitors carried two penalties, meaning the next Shido would determine the winner. Toprak continued to press forward, eventually forcing Yamini into a third penalty that ended the contest after six minutes and 54 seconds.
“I felt like I was dying; I don’t know if it looked like it,” Toprak said after clinching the gold medal.
South Africa’s Donne Breytenbach and England’s Lele Nairne claimed the bronze medals in the women’s 57kg event.
Despite narrowly missing out on gold, Yamini’s silver capped another successful day for India in judo, as the country secured two historic gold medals earlier in the competition. Asmita Dey won the women’s 48kg title after defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach in the final, while Harsh Singh dominated Australia’s Joshua Katz 10-0 to claim gold in the men’s 60kg category.
Yamini later admitted she was disappointed with the result but remained determined to bounce back.
“I am a bit disappointed. I felt I could win gold. Right up to the last second, I felt I was being aggressive and could score. However, I think I lost today because of some negative play that resulted in a penalty point against me,” she said.
Dedicating the silver medal to her country and family, the Indian judoka said their constant support had motivated her throughout her journey.
“First and foremost, this medal is for my country and my family. They have been supporting me. I am heading to the Asian Games, and I want to try to win a medal there as well. I will give it my all to bring home the gold,” she added.
Congratulating the judoka, Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said in a post on X, “India shines bright in Judo! Congratulations to Yamini Maurya for securing a Silver medal in the 57 KG Judo event at the Commonwealth Games.”
With Yamini’s silver adding to the tally, India continued its impressive judo campaign in Glasgow. The strong performances also lifted India to ninth place in the overall medals table with 20 medals, comprising five gold, 11 silver and four bronze medals.
(With agency inputs)
