At the young age of 20, New Delhi judoka Himanshi Tokas made history as she became the first Indian judoka to become world number 1 in judo. The rise of another judoka from Gujarat, Shaheen Darjada, was also highlighted, who is ranked fourth in the world in junior women’s 57 kg category.
- In one of the oldest Olympic sports played by 50 million viewers in 200 countries, 20-year-old Himanshi achieved world number 1 ranking in junior women’s 63 kg weight category.
- At the young age of 20, judoka Himanshi Tokas made history as she became the first Indian judoka to become world number 1 in judo. In addition, by winning a gold medal in the Asian Junior Championship in Indonesia last week, Himanshi secured the position of number 1 judoka in Asia.
- The rise of another judoka from Gujarat, Shaheen Darjada, was also highlighted, who is ranked fourth in the world in junior women’s 57 kg category. This is the first time that two Indian judokas are included in the top five in world ranking.
Himanshi Tokas
- Himanshi has scored a total of 610 points for her number 1 ranking. Himanshi’s next goal is to win a gold medal in the upcoming Judo World Championship to be held in Lima from 5 to 7 October.
- The Asian Junior Championship is not the first time that Himanshi has secured first place in an international judo competition.
- Earlier this year, she secured first place in both the Casablanca African Open and the Taipei Junior Asian Cup, paving the way for her victory in Jakarta.
- During her career, this champion has won five gold medals in three competitions – one continental championship, three continental cup competitions and one continental open championship.
- Himanshi Tokas, a resident of Munirka, South Delhi, started her career at the age of 18. It was Himanshi’s father Ravi Tokas, who in 2020 got her admitted to Solanki’s Academy of Fitness and Combat Sports (AFACS) in Dwarka.
- In the Sub-Junior Nationals 2019, Himanshi won a silver medal, proving that she had the qualities required to become a judoka, but it was only after securing fifth place in the Khelo India Youth Games 2020 that employers recognized her talent.
Atika Meer
- In the European Karting Championship held in Slovakia, Atika Meer from Jammu and Kashmir secured an impressive fourth place. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated the union territory’s first Formula 1 racing talent on this historic achievement. The 11-year-old karting talent from Srinagar made history in motorsport by becoming the first Indian and Asian girl selected for Formula 1 Academy’s ‘Discover Your Drive’ program.
- With the support of Formula 1, she recently won the title of best Indian and female racer in a European Karting Championship, showcasing her immense talent and skills on the international stage.
- Meer started competitive karting in the UAE at the age of six. In the 2022-23 season, she was runner-up in the UAE IAME National Karting Championship in the Mini R category.
- In February 2025, she secured a podium place in the IAME Summer Cup held at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Meer became the first Indian female driver to qualify for the finals of the Rotax Euro Trophy in South Garda, Italy, in 2024.
- Later that year, she won a race in the Micro Max category at the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy (RMCIT) held in Le Mans, France, becoming the first female racer to win a race in this series.
- In January 2025, she joined the BabyRace Driver Academy in Italy to compete in the WSK Karting Series. She also became the only Asian driver to be selected for the Iron Dames Young Talent Program in 2024.
- Meer was born in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir and moved to Dubai at an early age. Before stepping into professional karting, she started electric kart racing for entertainment.
