Judoka Khushbu Darjada wins silver at Youth Olympics in Senegal
The 18-year-old Siddi community member secured India's best result at the Youth Olympic Games in the 63kg judo category.
Khushbu Darjada won a silver medal in the women's 63kg judo category on Monday at the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, according to News18 and Sportstar. The 18-year-old athlete defeated Guinea's Camara Mamaissata 1-0, and secured ippon victories against Morocco's Abir Bouazzaoui and Algeria's Dounia Berrahoual before losing to Germany's Jolina Reinhold in the final.
Darjada is a member of the Siddi community from the Surva village in Gujarat's Gir district. This achievement marks the first Olympic medal won by a member of the Siddi community and is India's best result at the Youth Olympics to date.
The athlete noted that her appearance caused confusion among locals in Senegal. She told Sportstar that people in Africa questioned her Indian nationality because she shared their physical features, whereas in India, she is often noticed for looking different.
Darjada trained for three years at the District level Sports School in Gir after being spotted by a Georgian coach, Lasha Kizilashvill. She expressed pride in representing the Indian team and seeing the national flag raised on the podium.
The Siddi community consists of descendants of East and Southeast Africans who migrated to India during the 16th and 17th centuries. They have an estimated population of 1.5 lakh across Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.