When 20-year-old Himanshi Tokas rose to World No. 1 in the International Judo Federation’s junior women’s -63kg category this September, she etched her name into Indian sporting history.
Never before had an Indian judoka, male or female, reached the summit of the global junior rankings. For a nation that has long struggled to make a mark in the martial art introduced to India nearly a century ago, Tokas’s achievement is both a personal triumph and a symbol of a sport on the rise.
Her journey to the top has been anything but smooth, marked by family opposition, injury setbacks, and the daunting challenge of competing in a discipline dominated by powerhouses like Japan, France, and Brazil. Yet, her relentless perseverance, bolstered by key institutional support, has brought Indian judo to a turning point.
Tokas grew up in Munirka, a densely populated part of South Delhi, where traditional expectations often clashed with her sporting ambitions. At 18, she faced strong resistance from male family members who disapproved of her pursuing judo. It was her mother’s unwavering support that allowed her to continue.
Her progress nearly ended early due to an eye injury that forced her to briefly step away from training. But by 2019, she was winning medals most notably a silver at the Sub-Junior National Championships, which helped change perceptions within her family.
A fifth-place finish at the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games earned her entry into the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bhopal, where she received structured training under coach Yashpal Solanki. Trips abroad, including a training camp in Japan, further honed her skills and exposed her to international competition.
The Breakthrough 2025 Season
The year 2025 was the watershed. Tokas competed in a carefully selected set of events that maximized ranking points and showcased her readiness to dominate at the junior level.
Casablanca African Open (January 2025): She stunned France’s Priscilla Gneto in the final to win gold.
Taipei Junior Asian Cup (July 2025): A string of impressive wins over athletes from Chinese Taipei and South Korea brought her another title.
Asian Junior Championships (September 2025): The defining moment. Tokas beat fellow Indian Linthoi Chanambam in the semifinal before dispatching Uzbekistan’s Nigina Saparbova in the final to clinch her third major gold of the season.
These victories, worth a combined 610 ranking points, propelled her to the top of the junior rankings, ahead of Italy’s Savita Russo and Brazil’s Eduarda Bastos.
Her dominance was not merely about wins. She showed an ability to close out matches decisively nine of her victories came by Ippon, judo’s equivalent of a knockout, reflecting her technical superiority.
The International Judo Federation’s ranking system awards higher points for medals at Continental Championships and Cups. Tokas’s calendar was tailored to this structure, focusing on events that could maximize her returns.
- Continental Championship Gold (200 points)
- Two Continental Cup Golds (100 points each)
- Additional results from other competitions
This consistent accumulation of points outweighed isolated results by rivals like Russo, who, despite a Junior World Championship silver, could not match Tokas’s sustained success.
By September 2025, the rankings were:
- Himanshi Tokas (IND): 610 pts
- Savita Russo (ITA): 500 pts
- Eduarda Bastos (BRA): 452 pts
- Emily Daniela Jaspe (USA): 448 pts
Even as she reigned supreme in juniors, Tokas stepped into the senior circuit, where the gulf in standards quickly became evident.
- Paris Grand Slam 2025: Lost to Anna Skalska (CZE) in the Round of 32.
- Tbilisi Grand Slam 2025: Fell to Geke Van den Berg (NED) in the Round of 64.
- Asian Senior Championships 2025 (Bangkok): Knocked out by Ji Hye Kim (PRK).
- World Championships 2025 (Hungary): Exited in Round of 64 against Natalia Kropska (POL).
Her only senior title came at the Casablanca African Open, a lower-tier competition. As a result, she holds almost identical points in juniors (610) and seniors (611) but sits at World No. 61 in the senior rankings. This stark contrast illustrates how much tougher it is to break into the elite senior bracket.
Still, such early setbacks are not unusual. The names defeating her are established competitors, and facing them will only accelerate her growth. The next step for Tokas is to transition from being a promising junior to a senior medal contender, a process that will demand patience and persistence.
Tokas’s achievement is monumental when viewed against India’s judo history. Introduced in 1929, the sport never enjoyed the systemic backing that wrestling, boxing, or badminton received.
The Judo Federation of India was only established in 1965, and while medals at Asian and Commonwealth levels followed, India has yet to secure a breakthrough at the World Championships or Olympics.
Tokas is not alone in heralding change. Other young Indian judokas are climbing the junior rankings:
- Shahin Rajakbhai Darjada (-57kg): World No. 4, with multiple Asian and Cup medals.
- Kanwarpreet Kaur (+78kg): World No. 10.
- Ishroop Narang (-78kg): World No. 10.
- Nungshithoi Chanu Leishangthem (-52kg): World No. 12, silver at the Berlin Junior Cup.
- Linthoi Chanambam (-63kg): World Cadet Champion, bronze at Asian Juniors.
This cluster of talent, supported by initiatives like the Reliance Foundation, points to a systemic improvement in grassroots judo.
For Tokas, the immediate challenge is mastering the senior circuit. Reaching the later rounds of Grand Slams and Continental Championships must now be the priority. Training trips abroad, particularly to Japan and Europe, are critical. Exposure to varied styles and higher competition intensity will prepare her for the grind of senior-level tournaments.
The Judo Federation of India (JFI) too has a responsibility. Tokas’s rise can serve as a rallying point to attract sponsorship, media attention, and governmental support. Investment in nutrition, physiotherapy, analytics, and mental conditioning must match global standards if Indian judokas are to consistently compete with the best.
If managed well, her success could inspire an entire generation, much like Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic gold transformed Indian athletics.
Himanshi Tokas’s ascent to World No. 1 in junior judo is a watershed moment. It reflects not just her personal grit but also the promise of a new generation of Indian judokas ready to challenge the world. The gulf between junior and senior success remains daunting, but with the right support, Tokas has the potential to be India’s first genuine contender for Olympic judo medals.
Her story from a young girl in Munirka battling family resistance to a global No. 1 is proof that Indian judo is no longer an afterthought. It is, in fact, at the dawn of a new era.
