Sr National Judo C’ship 2025-26: VBF Judoka Kalpana Upsets Unnati Sharma To Bag Gold

Sr National Judo C’ship 2025-26: VBF judoka Kalpana upsets Unnati Sharma to bag gold (Image Source: IANS)

Senior National Judo Championship: Vijayi Bharat Foundation (VBF) judoka Irengbam Kalpana Devi bagged gold in the women’s 63 kg category at the Senior National Judo Championship 2025-26.

Kalpana stunned the judo fraternity by defeating Himanshi Tokas, the former Junior World No. 1 and current Jr. World No. 3, in the semifinals of the event.

She carried that momentum into the final, where she overpowered Unnati Sharma, the Senior Asian Championship silver medalist, with a commanding performance to win gold.

Kalpana, who hails from Manipur, has been training under coach Lal Krishan Baghel at VBF's high-performance centre in Ahmedabad since mid-2024.

"I am really happy to win gold today. It has all been through the hard work and dedication of my team at VBF, so first of all, I would like to thank Vijayi Bharat Foundation and my coach, Lal Krishan Baghel, for what I have achieved today. I will now aim to continue this momentum and reach many more milestones for our country," said Kalpana.

According to coach Baghel, Kalpana’s preparation for the Senior Nationals focused on elite-level gripping strategies (kumi-kata), transition speed from tachi-waza to ne-waza, match-specific randori, anaerobic endurance, and decision-making under fatigue. Special emphasis was placed on neutralizing the strengths of top-ranked opponents and converting small scoring opportunities into match-winning advantages.

“This gold medal is not accidental. It is the outcome of disciplined planning, technical precision, and belief in the process,” said coach Baghel.

“Kalpana followed every session with commitment, and she trusted the VBF even when the training was extremely demanding,” he added.

“This gold medal is not accidental. It is the outcome of disciplined planning, technical precision, and belief in the process,” said coach Baghel.

Other VBF judokas making their mark at the event were Rohit Majgul, who also dominated in his weight category to win gold in the men’s 66 kg category. Shahin Darjada, who won silver in women's 57 kg, Anurag Sagar, silver in men's 60 kg, Max Laishram, silver in men's 73 kg, Simran, bronze in women's 48 kg, Wanglen Angom, bronze in men's 66 kg, Reva Rawat, bronze in the women’s 63 kg category.

Article Source: IANS