Fifteen-year-old judoka Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada was thrilled before boarding the flight to Dakar, Senegal, for the 2026 Youth Olympics.
More than anything, she wanted to see the Indian flag go up as she stood on the podium.
On Monday, she did, winning silver in the girls’ 63 kg category in Dakar. It is India’s second judo medal at the Youth Olympics, after Tababi Devi won silver in the girls’ 44 kg event in 2018.
“This is my second competition and I just wanted to be here. It is a lifetime experience for me. I wanted to finish on the podium and I achieved that, so I’m very happy,” Khushbu told The Indian Express from Dakar.
On her way to the final she beat Guinea’s Mamaissata Camara 1-0, then Morocco’s Abir Bouazzaoui and Algeria’s Dounia Berrahoual by ippon, before losing the final to Germany’s Jolina Reinhold by ippon.
As Khushbu stood on the podium, her village of Surva, in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, erupted in celebration.
“This is one of the best moments for our family. Our daughter has made the nation proud and I was emotional yesterday,” said her father Rajakbhai, who works at the Government Circuit House in Junagadh.
Khushbu took up judo because of her elder sister Shahin Darjada, the junior Asian champion, who is her inspiration.
“I used to do wrestling at the District Sports School in my home town but after seeing my sister, I picked up Judo as I liked the moves of the sport,” said Khushbu.
The sisters belong to the Siddi community of Gir Somnath, which traces its roots to Bantu communities of Africa.
“Both the girls come from the Siddi community and their body type is really suited for combat sports,” said Lal Krishan Baghel, who coaches them at the Vijayi Bharat Center in Ahmedabad.
Early strides
Baghel, who trains five judokas from the community there, scouted Khushbu alongside Georgian coach Lasha Kizilashvilli.
“After she picked up Judo back in 2022 as an 11-year-old, one of her earlier coaches recommended Khushbu to me,” said Baghel. “I started tracking her and saw her in some junior competitions. That’s when I realised that the girl has good physique and endurance for Judo.”
Indian Judoka Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada in action during Youth Olympics. (Special Arrangement)
When Khushbu arrived in Ahmedabad, she had already picked up the nuances of the sport. “She is a very smart athlete. She was already observing her sister and picked up some moves. She is still very nascent, so I work on her physical strength and let her brain figure out game situations itself,” said Baghel.
This is Khushbu’s second international medal, after a bronze at the Asian Cadet Championships earlier this year. But Baghel first saw her potential at last year’s junior nationals.
“The cadet nationals were getting delayed, so we decided to field her in the junior nationals, which is an U20 event. She picked up bronze there as a 14-year-old fighting against the likes of 18 and 19-year-olds,” said Baghel.
Developing a pipeline
Khushbu’s family was largely supportive, but Baghel still had some convincing to do.
“There were few hurdles for both Khushbu and Shahin. While the family is very supportive, there used to be marriage proposals now and then. I had to convince the parents that it can deter their kids. The Darjada family understood and shut down any such thing after that, letting these two focus on the sport,” said Baghel.
Three international medallists from the Siddi community train at the Vijayi Bharat Center: Shahin, Khushbu and Rohit Majgul, who represented India at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
“It’s been five years since I have been constantly working with these kids. There is a lot of potential among them. If we manage to tap into it, it can be a game changer for Indian judo,” said Baghel.
He explained how they are building a pipeline. “Apart from the five judokas in the main center, we have got a feeder center in Gir Somnath, closer to the home of the Siddi community. There are more than 70 kids from the age of 11 to 15 who train there. The idea is to scout the ones who can transition to the senior level,” he said.