GLASGOW — Indian judoka Yamini Mourya put on a spirited performance to secure the silver medal in the women’s 57kg event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Friday, following a tense, tactical final against England’s seasoned international Acelya Toprak.
Facing the 2022 Birmingham silver medalist, the 28-year-old native of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, matched her opponent blow for blow through four minutes of regulation time at the SEC Centre in Glasgow. Neither athlete managed to land a decisive throw, resulting in a defensive stalemate characterized by heavy gripping battles and tactical discipline.
Yamini received her initial shido (penalty) 1 minute and 34 seconds into the contest, followed by simultaneous penalties for both fighters near the midway mark. With the scoreboard deadlocked at the end of regulation, the gold medal bout pushed into the sudden-death Golden Score period, where any scoring point or decisive penalty determines the victor.
As the match approached the seven-minute total mark, Yamini was handed her third shido for passivity. Under International Judo Federation (IJF) rules, accumulating three penalties leads to an automatic hansoku-make (disqualification), awarding the victory and gold medal to Toprak.
Despite missing out on the top podium spot, Yamini's performance adds another major feather to her cap. A multiple-time senior national champion, Yamini has consistently represented India on the international stage since 2022, holding gold medals from the 2022 National Games, the 2025 Hong Kong Asian Open, and the 2026 Dakar African Open, alongside a bronze from the 2023 FISU World University Games.
Yamini’s silver capped off an exceptional opening spell for the Indian judo contingent in Glasgow, following gold-medal victories by Asmita Dey (48kg) and Harsh Singh (60kg) earlier in the competition.
