Dehradun, August 2: In a remarkable achievement for India, Unnati Sharma clinched the bronze medal in the women’s 63 kg judo event at the Commonwealth Games 2026. She secured her place on the podium by defeating South Africa’s Skye Noster in the playoff match held on Saturday.
The atmosphere in Dehradun is filled with joy following Unnati’s success. Her mother, Mamta Sharma, expressed her happiness, stating, “I am very proud. I wish all children achieve success like our daughter. Every daughter should shine and make the country proud. We supported Unnati in everything she wanted to pursue. A child’s potential is evident from a young age. Unnati played with boys since childhood, and we always believed she would make a name for herself.”
Unnati’s sister, Riya, shared her pride, saying, “I am very proud, and so are my parents. We all feel immense pride in her achievement. This is no small feat, as nearly 33 countries participated. Winning a bronze medal for our country is a significant accomplishment. She has worked hard for this medal. An athlete puts in a lot of effort to win. We are proud that Unnati has brought recognition to both Uttarakhand and the entire nation. She has excelled academically as well, achieving excellent marks in her 12th grade while balancing sports and studies.”
Unnati began her campaign with a strong performance, defeating Eswatini’s Lamulela Magagula in just 1 minute and 39 seconds in the Round of 16. She maintained her rhythm in the quarter-finals against New Zealand’s Kona Christie, showcasing a disciplined performance. Before securing a place in the semi-finals, she achieved a decisive waza-ari after winning a match with a yuko.
Although her attempt to reach the finals ended with a loss in the semi-finals, it did not dampen her spirit. Returning to the mat for the bronze medal match, Unnati displayed confidence and discipline, ultimately defeating South Africa’s Skye Noster to claim her medal.
Born on March 25, 2003, Unnati has shown consistent progress in judo. Her journey began at a local training center with the simple goal of losing weight. After two years of mastering the basics and performing well in her early days, her family decided to support her in pursuing judo as a career in 2019.
Since then, Unnati has represented Uttarakhand with distinction at the National Games and has been a regular member of India’s junior and senior international teams. She has achieved numerous accolades, including a gold medal at the 2026 Dakar Africa Open and a bronze at the 2025 Hong Kong Asia Open. Additionally, she won a gold medal at the 2023 Macau Junior Asian Open and placed in the top seven at the 2025 Taipei Asian Open and the 2023 Junior Asian Championship.
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