SAI sends 14-member Indian judo delegation to Japan for pre-Games training

SAI is facilitating a Japan training stint for India’s senior judo team ahead of the 2026 Asian Games and World Judo Championships. A 14-member delegation, including 11 judokas and three coaches, is training at Tsukuba University until October 2

New Delhi: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is facilitating an overseas training stint for India’s senior judo team at Tsukuba University in Japan as part of preparations for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and the World Judo Championships in Baku.

A 14-member Indian delegation is taking part in an International Training (Pre-Games) programme at Tsukuba University until October 2. The delegation comprises 11 judokas — one male and 10 female athletes — along with three coaches.

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Of the 11 judokas, three — Asmita Dey (women’s -48kg), Yamini Mourya (women’s -57kg) and Takhellambam Inunganbi (women’s -70kg) — are part of the Asian Games team.

While Asmita will compete on September 30, Yamini and Inunganbi are scheduled to take the mat on October 1 at the Aichi International Arena (IG Arena) in Nagoya.

The overseas exposure camp comes at a crucial phase of the international calendar, with the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya followed immediately by the World Judo Championships in Baku from October 4 to 11. A total of 10 Indian judokas — one male and nine female — are taking part in the Baku tournament.

Training at Tsukuba University are Harsh Singh (-60kg) among the men, while the women’s squad features Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medallist Asmita Dey (-48kg), Shraddha K Chopade (-52kg), L Nungshithoi Chanu (-52kg), Yamini Mourya (-57kg), Linthoi Chanambam (-63kg), Unnati Sharma (-63kg), Himanshi Tokas (-63kg), Takhelambam Inunganbi (-70kg), KH Taibanganbi (-70kg) and Ishroop Narang (-78kg).

The coaching staff includes Jiwan Kumar Sharma, Birender Singh and Rajwinder Kaur.

The sanction has been granted under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) scheme, with the Judo Federation of India responsible for coordinating the foreign exposure.

The Japan camp is part of the broader support being extended to India’s Asian Games-bound athletes, with SAI facilitating international exposure and training opportunities in the run-up to the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

For the judokas, training in Japan in the final weeks before the competition provides an opportunity to acclimatise to the host country while receiving high-level preparation ahead of the Asian Games.