Ludhiana: Judoka Ishroop Narang received a warm welcome from sports department officials, coaches, family members, and fellow athletes upon her arrival at the Ludhiana railway station after representing India at the Commonwealth Games 2026.Narang, a resident of Ludhiana and student of a college in Chandigarh, delivered a strong performance in the women’s under-78 kg category. She opened her campaign with a win over Scotland’s Nicole Wood to reach the quarterfinals. After losing to Emma Reid in the last eight, Narang bounced back in the repechage round to defeat Cameroon’s Georgika Wesly Djengue Moune and secure a spot in the bronze medal match.In a tightly contested bronze medal bout against Canada’s Coralie Godbout, Narang conceded a late penalty, allowing Godbout to score a Yuko and secure the medal.Praising her effort, her childhood coach Parveen Thakur said, “In the 78 kg weight category, she has performed very well. The players across the world had a much higher rank but still she was fighting till the end. The sports department from Ludhiana, coaches and other judo players are proud of her and she will be an inspiration for many.” He added, “In the coming days, there will be junior and senior championships, she will definitely compete in these events, I am confident that she will perform well and clinch the medals.”Her father, Tejinder Singh Narang, told TOI, “I felt proud after seeing her representing the country in commonwealth games at such a young age. In any competition one player is going to win and other one is going to lose but she continued her fight till the end, that makes her a great player according to me. Our family and everyone is proud of her.”
