| Judo in India | |
|---|---|
 Thangjam (India) vs Puljiz (Croatia) at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics | |
| Country | India |
| Governing body | Judo Federation of India |
| National team(s) | India |
Judo, (Japanese martial art emphasizing throws and grappling), has a growing presence in India. The sport is governed by the Judo Federation of India (JFI), established in 1965.
The first written record of judo in India refers to demonstrations and coaching by Japanese judoka Shinzo Takagaki in Shantiniketan, arranged by Rabindranath Tagore in 1929. [1]
The first National Judo Championship was organised at Hyderabad in 1966. An Indian team participated in an international judo competition for the first time at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, which was also the first time judo was included as an event at the Asian Games. India won four bronze medals in its debut international judo tournament. Indian judokas have also participated at the Olympic Games. [2]
Narender Singh holds the distinction of being the first judoka to represent India at two Olympic Games, in 1992 and 1996. [3] In the 2010 Judo World Cup in Tashkent, Thoudam Kalpana Devi of Manipur became the first Indian to win a World Cup top-three finish. [4]
The JFI, in association with the IJF, organized a two-week judo development programme in October 2016 across 9 North Indian cities. [5]
| Competition | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Games | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Commonwealth Games | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Asian Championships | 0 | 4 | 11 | 15 |
| Total | 0 | 9 | 22 | 31 |
Field hockey in India is played by the men's national team and the women's national team at the international level. Historically, both the teams are amongst the most successful Indian sports teams.
The India men's national field hockey team represents India in international field hockey competitions. The team is governed by the association Hockey India.
The World Judo Championships are the highest level of international judo competition, next to the quadrennial judo events at the Summer Olympic Games. The world championships are held by the International Judo Federation annually, except the calendar years of the Summer Olympics. Qualified judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their home countries. Team fixtures have also been held since 1994. The men's championships first took place in 1956, though the format and periodicity of the competition have changed over time. The last edition of the World Judo Championships (2024) was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Indian women's national field hockey team represents India in international field hockey, and is governed by Hockey India. Nabhvarna are currently ranked 9th in the FIH Women's World Ranking, and are ranked as the second best team in Asia. They have won the gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and 1982 Asian Games. They have won the Asia Cup twice, in 2004 and 2017, and won the Asian Champions Trophy thrice, in 2016, 2023 and 2024.
The India women's national football team represents India at women's international football competitions and is governed by the All India Football Federation. Under the global jurisdiction of FIFA and governed in Asia by the AFC. India is also part of the South Asian Football Federation. The team was one of the best in Asia in the mid-1970s to early 1980s, when they became runners-up in the 1979 and the 1983 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
Bombayla Devi Laishram is an Indian former archer. A member of the national recurve team representing India at the international events for a decade-and-a-half starting 2007, she has won a silver medal at the World Archery Championships, and four gold, five silver, and four bronze medals at various editions of the Archery World Cup. Laishram peaked at no. 14 in the world rankings in March 2009.
India has a history of sports dating back to the Vedic period, with Western sports having been imported during British rule. Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed league in the country. Football has also gained popularity, with the Indian Super League (ISL) being the highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at the Asian and South Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the Groupstage of the 1960 Olympics, qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and won the SAFF Championship. Other sports include kabaddi, badminton, tennis, and athletics, with kho-kho becoming the fourth-most viewed sport. India has also had success in field hockey, winning the World Cup and multiple medals in the Olympic Games. Sports such as golf, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, motorsport, wrestling, and basketball are featured throughout the country.
The India men's national volleyball team represents India in international volleyball competitions. It is managed by the Volleyball Federation of India and is currently sponsored by Sahara India Pariwar and Asics.
The India national under-23 football team represents India in international under-23 football and is controlled by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). A member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the team is eligible to compete in the Summer Olympic Games, the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, and the Asian Games, subject to qualification.
Lourembam Brojeshori Devi was an Indian judoka who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
Garima Chaudhary is an Indian judoka. She was India's sole judoka at the 2012 London Olympics, competing in the Women's (63 kg) category.
Shushila Devi Likmabam is an Indian judoka who won the silver medal in the women's 48 kg weight class at the judo at the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. She hails from Manipur state in India. Likmabam had earlier pinned Chloe Rayner in the semis. She won the silver medal in women's 48 kg judo.
Kalpana Devi Thoudam is an Indian judoka, born in Imphal East, Manipur. She won the bronze medal in the women's 52 kg weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
India competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Indian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympics since 1920, although they made their official debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Avtar Singh is an Indian judoka who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Narender Singh Kodan was an Indian judoka who competed at two Olympic Games.
India participated at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 6 October to 18 October 2018. India managed their best ever medal haul of the Youth Olympics in this edition. Among the 206 participating nations, India ranked 17th on the medals tally.
The Judo Federation of India is the national sports federation for judo in India.
India competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Originally scheduled to take place in July–August 2020, the games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Games marked the nation's 25th appearance at the Summer Olympics after having made its official debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics.
Uta Abe is a Japanese judoka who competes in the Women's half-lightweight division. She won the gold medal in the Women's 52 kg competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics and two silver medals in a row with the Japanese team in the judo mixed team events at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. Abe is also a four-time world champion, having won the gold medal in her weight category at the World Judo Championships in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.
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