With determination in their eyes and the tricolour stitched to their judogi, 18 young Indian judokas stepped onto the tatami at the 2025 Asian Judo Championships, held at the MCC Hall in Bangkok, Thailand.
From April 25 to 27, the event brought together 289 athletes from 29 nations, all chasing glory on one of Asia’s biggest judo stages.
For India, however, it wasn’t just about medals—it was about building the future of Indian judo. While the Indian contingent did not return with a medal, they earned something equally valuable: experience, exposure, and hard-fought lessons in resilience.
Men’s Campaign: Promise Meets Pressure
The Indian men’s squad, comprising nine judokas, saw its standout performance from Arun Kumar (-73 kg). The 20-year-old displayed remarkable poise, defeating Kuwait’s Fahad Alenezi and Macau’s Haozheng Chen to storm into the quarterfinals.
There, he faced a tough loss to Makhmadbek of the UAE. In the repechage, Arun’s journey ended against Mongolia’s UranbayarOdgerel—but not without him establishing himself as India’s most competitive male performer at the tournament.
In the same category, Pradeep Rawat (25) bowed out in the first round against Gabriel Benedict Quitain of the Philippines.
Elsewhere, the men’s side struggled to progress past early rounds. Youngsters like Sidharth Rawat (-60 kg)and Rohit Basir Majgul (-66 kg) showed sparks of potential but were outclassed by more seasoned opponents.
Garvit (20) managed a solid win over SaoudAlamiri of Kuwait in Round 1 before falling in Round 2.
From the -81 kg to +100 kg categories, Indian judokas faced early exits.
Harshpreet Singh (-81 kg), BharamKumar Vats (-90 kg), Rohit Ahlawat (-100 kg), and Yash Vijayran (+100 kg) all exited in the first round—reminders of the steep path still ahead for India’s male judokas at the continental level.
Women’s Performance: Grit in the Face of Adversity
India’s women’s team not only matched the men in number but arguably outshone them in performance.
Shraddha Kadubal Chopade (-52 kg), just 19, came heartbreakingly close to a podium finish. After a quarterfinal loss to UAE’s Khorloodoi Bishrelt, she battled through repechage, defeating Mongolia’s Uranzaya Bayanmunkh.
However, her bronze medal hopes were dashed by China’s Yuanli Zhang.
Asmita Dey (-48 kg) and Ishroop Narang (-78 kg) also reached the quarterfinals but couldn’t advance past the repechage rounds.
Dey lost to Mongolia’s NarantsetsegGanbaatar and then to Chinese Taipei’s Chen-Hao Lin. Narang, one of the youngest in the team at 18, showed commendable grit before being edged out by China’s Yingxue Wang.
In the -57 kg category, Shahin Rajakbhai Darjada (19)impressed with victories over judokas from Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.
She reached the quarterfinals, where she lost to Uzbekistan’s Shukurjon Aminova. Her repechage journey ended against Kazakhstan’s BakytKussakbayeva.
The rest of the women’s squad also fought hard. UnnatiSharma (-63 kg) and Himanshi Tokas (-63 kg) made it to Round 2 but couldn’t progress further.
GarimaChoudhary (-70 kg), the team’s most experienced athlete at 35, secured a Round 1 victory over Nepal’s Ranjana Khadka before losing to Lebanon’s AqulinaChayeb in Round 2.
In the +78 kg division, seasoned competitor Tulika Maan (26) faced a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of Viktoriia Kiseleva of Tajikistan.
A Glimpse into the Future
While India didn’t feature in the medal tally, the campaign was a showcase of potential. The average age of the Indian contingent was under 23, with many athletes making their debut on a major continental stage. These young warriors went up against Asia’s elite—and in some cases, very nearly pulled off upsets.
In many ways, the 2025 Asian Judo Championships were less about medals and more about momentum. The lessons learned here will feed into future campaigns—at the World Championships, the Commonwealth Games, and even the road to Los Angeles 2028
