Asmita Dey’s historic gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games has been followed by questions over her eligibility for a ₹1.5 crore cash award from the Uttar Pradesh government.

The 23-year-old judoka defeated Canada’s Heidi Quach to win the women’s 48kg title in Glasgow. Her victory made her the first Indian woman to win a Commonwealth Games judo gold and contributed to India’s landmark double-gold performance in the sport.

Dey comes from Tripura but has served as a sub-inspector in the Uttar Pradesh Police since 2023. She has also represented Uttar Pradesh at major domestic competitions, creating a strong professional and sporting connection with the state.

The dispute is not about her achievement. It concerns how Uttar Pradesh applies its athlete reward policy when a sportsperson was born in another state but later joins a state service and represents UP in competitions.

Asmita Dey Commonwealth judo gold creates history

Dey entered the Glasgow Games with an impressive record at national and international competitions. According to the UP Judo Association, she won gold for Uttar Pradesh at the Senior National Judo Championship in Imphal.

She followed that success with another gold at the 38th National Games in Dehradun in February 2025. A month earlier, she had won the Casablanca African Open Championship in Morocco.

Her victory in Glasgow marked the biggest achievement of her career. It also strengthened the argument that she has consistently competed through the Uttar Pradesh sports system despite having permanent family roots in Tripura.

Dey’s sporting journey reflects the increasingly mobile nature of professional athletics. Players frequently move between states for employment, training, coaching and access to better facilities. Their birthplace, permanent address, employer and represented state may therefore be different.

Uttar Pradesh’s sports policy provides financial incentives and other support for athletes who perform at recognised international events. The state must now determine whether Dey’s employment and representation history satisfy the conditions in the applicable government order. 

UP athlete reward rules face domicile question

The Uttar Pradesh government’s August 2024 order reportedly contains three eligibility conditions. An athlete must be a bona fide UP domicile, must have studied at a recognised college or university in the state for at least two years and must have represented Uttar Pradesh in international sporting events.

Dey appears to satisfy the representation-related requirement, according to the UP Judo Association. However, questions remain over how officials will interpret the domicile and education conditions and whether every requirement must be met.

UP Sports Secretary Suhas LY said all eligible athletes would receive the benefits available under the policy. He asked the concerned officials to examine the provisions and make a final decision.

UP Director of Sports RP Singh said the department was finalising the list of medal winners and participants connected with the state at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The statements confirm that Dey’s case remains under review and that no final approval or rejection has been announced.

Past cases could influence the discussion. Suhas LY was born in Karnataka but has served in the Uttar Pradesh IAS cadre, represented the state in para-badminton and received state rewards for his Paralympic medals.

Shooter Jitu Rai, originally from Nepal, later became an Indian citizen after joining the Lucknow-based 11 Gorkha Rifles. He received ₹1 crore from the UP government for winning shooting gold at the 2014 Asian Games.

Other UP-linked Commonwealth Games athletes are also expected to receive rewards. Aligarh runner Gulveer Singh, who won silver in the 10,000 metres and bronze in the 5,000 metres, is reportedly eligible for ₹1.25 crore. Seven other athletes who competed without winning medals may receive ₹5 lakh each.

Dey’s case highlights the need for clearer reward rules that recognise modern sporting careers. Until the departmental review is complete, reporting that she has either secured or lost the ₹1.5 crore award would be inaccurate.