Judoka Inunganbi Takhellambam wins India’s first continental medal after 13 years

Takhellambam Inunganbi won a bronze medal in the women’s -70kg division at the Asian Judo Championships 2026 in Ordos City, the People’s Republic of China, on Friday.

The 27-year-old judoka’s bronze ended India’s 13-year-long medal drought at the continental meet. Takhellambam defeated Mongolia’s Lkhagvadulam Sarantsetseg by ippon in the bronze medal match to secure her spot on the podium and a place in Indian judo history.

https://x.com/SportsArena1234/status/2045101425018245478?s=20

Angom Anita Chanu was the last Indian medallist at the Asian Judo Championships, having also won a bronze in the women’s -52kg category at the 2013 edition held in Bangkok, Thailand.

So far, Indian judokas have won 16 medals, four silver and 12 bronze, at the individual Asian Championships. Poonam Chopra (1993), Najib Aga (1995), Pankaj Sharma (1997) and Ramashrey Yadav (2009) are the silver medal winners.

Earlier, Takhellambam Inunganbi, a gold medallist at the Amman Asian Open from last year and a national champion, had lost to Shirinjon Yuldoshova of Uzbekistan, the eventual silver medal winner, in the quarterfinals but beat Alina Moldokulova of Kyrgyzstan in repechage to earn herself a medal shot.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXPD5bKEnEC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Olympian Mun Song-hui of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, an Asian Games silver medallist, won the gold.

India have fielded a full stack of 18 judokas, nine men and nine women, for the ongoing continental meet which ends on Saturday.

Paris 2024 Olympian Tulika Maan, also a Commonwealth Games medallist, will be in action in the women’s +78kg division on the final day of competition.