Judo in India 2026 — IJF Scores (Yuko, Waza-ari, Ippon)

Q: I am 16, 18 or 20. Is it too late to start judo?

Not for competing: IJF seniors have no upper age limit, and juniors run up to 20. It is late for the free pipelines — SAI Training Centres take ages 12–18 — so a late starter trains at a state-association club and must win at Junior or Senior Nationals to be noticed. The real clock is the job deadline: Railways sports quota stops at 25 and CRPF at 23 (28 for an unreserved sportsperson after relaxation).

Q: Which government jobs can judo get me?

Central Group C posts under DoPT rules list judo among 65 sports. CRPF's 2026 sports quota (521 Head Constable and Constable posts) has judo posts in nine weight classes. Railways recruit zone by zone — Western Railway's 2026-27 notice had no judo posts, so read every zone's notice.

Q: We are a lower-middle-class family. How do we keep costs down?

Aim for the free seats: SAI centres give coaching, boarding, sports science and diet, and a Khelo India athlete gets ₹6.28 lakh a year. Girls can look at IIS's Kotak Girls Judo Programme, which funds residential training and foreign exposure. Until then, nationals travel and stay are paid by you, your state association or your department.

Q: Does any 'national' certificate count for a job?

No. Railways will not recruit on a certificate from a federation MoYAS did not recognise at the time of the championship, and CRPF counts only championships of MoYAS-recognised federations or the IOA's National Games. Only JFI-registered judoka may enter JFI's nationals, so register through your state association first.

01 Core rules & selection formats

How a judo contest is won, and the weight classes

Judo is a Japanese sport made by Jigoro Kano from jujutsu. You must hold the opponent's jacket (judogi) to fight. You win by throwing the opponent flat on the back, by holding them down on the mat, or when they give up to an arm-lock or a choke. [2]

IJF scores — what each one means [2]

IJF scores — what each one means
Score	How you get it	Hold-down time
Ippon — wins the contest at once	A clean, fast throw that lands the opponent on the back with control; or the opponent gives up	20 seconds
Waza-ari	A throw that is not quite ippon. Two waza-ari = ippon	10–19 seconds
Yuko	A smaller score, for example the opponent lands on both buttocks	5–9 seconds

A senior, junior or cadet contest lasts 4 minutes of real fighting time.
If the scores are level at 4 minutes, the contest goes to golden score: the first score wins.
Penalties are called shido. A penalty is never a score — you cannot win just because the other judoka has more shidos. The third shido is hansoku-make, and you lose the contest.
The judoka on top of the draw sheet wears a white judogi, the one below wears blue. [2][3]

IJF weight classes (kg) — senior and junior are the same [3]

IJF weight classes (kg) — senior and junior are the same
Group	Women	Men
Senior & junior (U21)	48 · 52 · 57 · 63 · 70 · 78 · +78	60 · 66 · 73 · 81 · 90 · 100 · +100
Cadet (U18)	40 · 44 · 48 · 52 · 57 · 63 · 70 · +70	50 · 55 · 60 · 66 · 73 · 81 · 90 · +90

IJF age groups (age in the calendar year) [3]

IJF age groups (age in the calendar year)
Group	Ages
Cadet (U18)	15, 16 and 17
Junior (U21)	15 to 20
Senior	15 and over — no upper limit

No one under 15 (calendar year) may fight in any IJF event. Younger groups (9 to 14) are only IJF suggestions; each country sets its own rules. [3]

02 Institutional & global recognition

Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games — and India's results

LA28 Olympic judo — the hard numbers [1]

LA28 Olympic judo — the hard numbers
Rule	What it says
Events	7 men + 7 women + 1 mixed team
Places	372 judoka; at most one per weight class per country
How you qualify	On the IJF World Ranking List: the top 17 in each class get in, then 104 places by continent (Asia gets 12 men + 12 women)
Ranking window	15 June 2026 to 12 June 2028
Age	Born on or before 31 December 2013
Games	14–30 July 2028, Los Angeles

India has two Commonwealth Games 2026 champions in judo: Asmita Dey (women's 48 kg) and Harsh Singh (men's 60 kg). Only judoka ranked in the world top 100 (senior) or top 16 (junior) could enter the 2026 World Championships. [9]

At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, Asmita Dey (48 kg) and Inunganbi Takhellambam (70 kg) reached the bronze-medal bouts but missed the podium. India sent a nine-member team to the World Championships in Baku (October 2026) to earn LA28 ranking points. [10]

Government cash award for a senior medal (₹ lakh) [11]

Government cash award for a senior medal (₹ lakh)
Event	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Olympic Games	75	50	30
Asian Games / Commonwealth Games	30	20	10

The judo World Championship and Asian Championship are also on the Ministry's list; the amount depends on how often the event is held. The coach of an individual medallist gets 50%. Apply on the DBT-MIS portal within six months. [11]

Judo Federation of India: on 13 July 2026 the Sports Ministry recognised JFI's interim executive committee (elected 8 June 2026 under a Delhi High Court order) as the National Sports Federation. The recognition is conditional — it depends on pending court cases and on JFI bringing its rules in line with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. JFI runs the national championships and enters India's teams abroad. [8]

03 Physical benchmarks & anti-doping

The two weigh-ins, age proof and medical papers

Official weigh-in: the day before you fight, at 16:00 local time at IJF events. Seniors and juniors must be inside the limit — there is no tolerance.
Cadets weigh in wearing underwear, so they get 0.2 kg extra (for 44 kg, the limit is 44.2 kg).
Random weigh-in: on fight day, four judoka per class are drawn and weighed. You may be at most 5% over your category limit; fail and you cannot fight. [3]

At JFI's Sub-Junior Nationals: no tolerance at all, one try on the scale, and a judoka over or under the limit is disqualified with no certificate.
Bring three original age proofs: a birth certificate issued at least 3 years before, a school certificate with photo and affiliation number, and Aadhaar or JFI ID. JFI can order a medical age test; if 4 or more players of a state are found over-age, the whole team is disqualified.
Bring two judogis — one blue, one white; a judogi that fails the measurement check means you lose that bout. [5]

Under the anti-doping code you must be available for testing and check every medicine against the Prohibited List. JFI also asks for whereabouts to be filed with JFI and NADA before it enters you abroad. [12][7]

04 Grassroots-to-elite residential pipeline

From sub-junior nationals to the Indian team

1Grassroots & local entry Under 12+
2State to national breakthrough 15–17 · 12–18
3National camp & elite trials U21 · senior
4International orbit Born ≤2013

The full Judo roadmap has its own page

Every stage from first club to the international level, the detailed route, the age-by-age ladder and what to eat from stage 1, with sources.

📍 See The Journey / Full Roadmap

05 Top elite academies & cities

Where India's judoka train

SAI National Centres of Excellence with judo [14]

SAI National Centres of Excellence with judo
Centre	Other sports there
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh	Athletics, boxing, hockey, wushu, kayaking & canoeing
Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh	Athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, wrestling
Imphal, Manipur	Archery, athletics, cycling, fencing, football, hockey, weightlifting, wushu
Patiala, Punjab (NSNIS)	Athletics, cycling, fencing, hockey, weightlifting

Judo is one of SAI's 13 priority sports. It is also taught at SAI Training Centres and in SAI's school and college extension centres. [14]

Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), Vijayanagar, Karnataka trains judo and runs the Kotak Mahindra Bank Girls Judo Programme, which pays for full-time residential training, coaching and international exposure for girls. [16][15]

06 Equipment costs & who pays

Judogis, travel and who pays the bills

Your kit is simple: one blue and one white judogi that pass the IJF size check, and a belt. Education Margdarshan does not print shop prices — no governing body publishes them.
At national championships, boarding, lodging, travel and insurance are paid by the judoka, the state association or the department — not by JFI.
Fees at the 2026-27 Sub-Junior Nationals: ₹200 per player, ₹2,500 per state team; JFI registration ₹1,000 for two years. [5][6]

Who pays — judo ladder [14][18][10]

Who pays — judo ladder
Stage	Paid by	What you get
SAI centre trainee	Sports Authority of India	Coaching, boarding, sports science, diet
Khelo India athlete	Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports	₹6.28 lakh a year incl. ₹1.20 lakh cash
Indian team abroad	SAI / Sports Ministry (ANSF scheme)	Events and camps at government cost — e.g. the 2026 pre-Asian Games camp in Japan
Olympic prospect	TOPS Core Group	₹50,000 a month + approved training plan
Athlete in hardship	PDU National Welfare Fund	Up to ₹2.50 lakh

Weight-cutting with pills or powders is a doping risk: no supplement is 100% safe and strict liability applies — food first, with a certified nutritionist. [13]

07 Earning channels & central job quotas

Awards, pension and sports-quota jobs

Judo is one of the 65 sports in the central sports quota for Group C posts, with up to 5 years' age relaxation (10 for SC/ST).
Medals at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or World Championships can bring up to three out-of-turn promotions. [19]

CRPF's 2026 sports quota has judo posts for women in 48, 52, 57, 63 and 70 kg and men in 60, 66, 73 and 81 kg. [22]

Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons: ₹12,000–20,000 a month after retirement.
Coaching and refereeing: JFI holds black-belt gradation camps and exams zone by zone (for example North Zone, Jalandhar, September 2026). [18][4]

08 Disqualification traps

Mistakes that end a judoka's tournament

Missing weight by even 100 g at the official weigh-in — no tolerance for seniors and juniors.
Cutting too hard for the day-before weigh-in and then failing the 5% random weigh-in on fight day. [3]

Fake or late birth papers — a birth certificate issued less than 3 years before, or failing the medical age test, means disqualification (and 4 over-age players sink the whole state team).
A wrong-size judogi — you lose the bout at the judogi check. [5]

Entering an event abroad on your own — entries without JFI and SAI clearance break JFI rules. [7]

09 Real-world player doubts

Late start, weight, jobs, money and certificates — straight answers

I am 16, 18 or 20. Is it too late to start judo?

Not for competing: IJF seniors have no upper age limit, and juniors run up to 20. It is late for the free pipelines — SAI Training Centres take ages 12–18 — so a late starter trains at a state-association club and must win at Junior or Senior Nationals to be noticed. The real clock is the job deadline: Railways sports quota stops at 25 and CRPF at 23 (28 for an unreserved sportsperson after relaxation). [3][14][21][22]

Which weight class should I choose?

Fight in the class your body sits in on a normal day, not after a crash diet. You must pass a weigh-in the day before with no tolerance, and you may be weighed again on fight day and must be within 5% of the limit. In India you may enter only one class per championship. [3][5]

Which government jobs can judo get me?

Central Group C posts under DoPT rules list judo among 65 sports. CRPF's 2026 sports quota (521 Head Constable and Constable posts) has judo posts in nine weight classes. Railways recruit zone by zone — Western Railway's 2026-27 notice had no judo posts, so read every zone's notice. [19][22][21]

Sports-quota job routes open in 2026 — age, qualifying results, pay [21][22]

Sports-quota job routes open in 2026 — age, qualifying results, pay
Route	Age	Main qualifying results	Pay level
Railways Level 5/4 (graduates)	18–25 on 1 Jan 2027	Played the Olympics, or top 3 at a World Cup, World Championship, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or Youth Olympics	Level 5/4
Railways Level 3/2 (12th, or 10th + apprenticeship)	18–25 on 1 Jan 2027	Top 3 at Senior, Youth or Junior Nationals, National Games or All India Inter-University; or Federation Cup gold	Level 3/2
Railways Level 1	18–25 on 1 Jan 2027	Played for your state and finished at least 8th at Senior Nationals; or top 3 at the Federation Cup	Level 1
CRPF Head Constable (GD) (10+2)	18–23 on 1 Aug 2026; sportspersons get +5 years (OBC +8, SC/ST +10)	Played for India; or top 3 for your state at Nationals or National Games; or gold/silver at Junior Nationals	Level 4 · ₹25,500–81,100
CRPF Constable (GD) (10th pass)	18–23 on 1 Aug 2026; sportspersons get +5 years (OBC +8, SC/ST +10)	Played for your state at Senior or Junior Nationals; or top 3 at SGFI school nationals or Khelo India Games	Level 3 · ₹21,700–69,100

Railways count results from 1 April 2024; CRPF counts the two years before 30 September 2026. Railways fee ₹500 (₹400 back if you attend the trial; ₹250, refunded in full on attending, for SC/ST, women, PwBD, minorities, ex-servicemen and EBC). CRPF fee ₹100 for UR/OBC/EWS men; free for women, SC, ST and ex-servicemen. CRPF picks sign a ₹1 lakh bond to serve at least 3 years. [21][22]

We are a lower-middle-class family. How do we keep costs down?

Aim for the free seats: SAI centres give coaching, boarding, sports science and diet, and a Khelo India athlete gets ₹6.28 lakh a year. Girls can look at IIS's Kotak Girls Judo Programme, which funds residential training and foreign exposure. Until then, nationals travel and stay are paid by you, your state association or your department. [14][18][15][6]

Does any 'national' certificate count for a job?

No. Railways will not recruit on a certificate from a federation MoYAS did not recognise at the time of the championship, and CRPF counts only championships of MoYAS-recognised federations or the IOA's National Games. Only JFI-registered judoka may enter JFI's nationals, so register through your state association first. [21][22][5]

10 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this Education Margdarshan page is taken from the governing body's own rule book or a Government of India file below, read on 17 October 2026. Federations change rules, weight classes and scheme amounts — open the current file before you act on it.

IJF — Qualification System, LA28 Games of the XXXIV Olympiad: Judo (version 12 May 2026) (opens in a new tab) 7 + 7 classes and mixed team, 372 places, one per class per NOC, top-17 and continental places, age, ranking window 15 June 2026 – 12 June 2028 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
IJF — Refereeing Rules (from the Sport and Organisation Rules, July 2026) (opens in a new tab) Ippon, waza-ari, yuko; hold-down times; 4-minute contests; golden score; shido and hansoku-make · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
IJF — Sport and Organisation Rules (version 14 August 2026) (opens in a new tab) Age groups, minimum age 15, weight classes, official and random weigh-in, cadet 0.2 kg allowance, judogi colours · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
Judo Federation of India — official website (opens in a new tab) National championships calendar, black-belt gradation camps 2026-27 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
JFI — Sub-Junior National Judo Championships 2026-27, Lucknow: circular and rules (14 Oct 2026) (opens in a new tab) Ages (born 2012–2014), weight classes, 3-minute bouts, no arm-locks or chokes, weigh-in, age proofs, judogi control, fees, JFI registration · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
JFI — National Cadets Judo Championships 2026, Chandigarh (circular) (opens in a new tab) Cadet nationals 10–13 June 2026, team selection for Asian and World Cadet Championships, costs borne by individual/state · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
JFI — Selection Policy for International Events (16 Oct 2026) (opens in a new tab) Eligibility, selection priority, own-cost entries (ranking 100/50, ₹15,000 fee, 2-month rule), JFI-only entries, whereabouts · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
MYAS — Grant of recognition as a National Sports Federation to Judo Federation of India (interim body), No. 34-01/2026-GOV-2, 13 July 2026 (opens in a new tab) Conditional recognition, office bearers, conditions incl. National Sports Governance Act 2025 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
JFI — Commonwealth Games champion Harsh Singh among top judo players to compete at Baku World Championships 2026 (opens in a new tab) CWG 2026 champions Harsh Singh (60 kg) and Asmita Dey (48 kg), World Championships entry by ranking (top 100 senior, top 16 junior) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
JFI — Indian Judo Team, Baku World Championships (October 2026) (opens in a new tab) Nine-member World Championships team, Asian Games 2026 results, Asmita Dey Commonwealth champion, SAI-funded Japan camp under ANSF · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
MYAS — Scheme of Cash Incentive to Medal Winners (amended 1 Feb 2025) (opens in a new tab) Award amounts, judo World and Asian Championships listing, coach share, DBT-MIS deadline · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
NADA India — Athlete's Rights & Responsibilities (opens in a new tab) Testing availability, Prohibited List, TUE · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
NADA India — Managing the Risk of Nutritional Supplements (opens in a new tab) Supplement risk, strict liability, food-first approach · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
SAI — Brief on Sports Promotional Schemes 2024-25 (opens in a new tab) Judo NCOEs, 13 priority disciplines, STC entry (ages 12–18, up to 8th at nationals), extension centres · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
Inspire Institute of Sport, Vijayanagar — Programmes (opens in a new tab) Kotak Mahindra Bank Girls Judo Programme · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
Inspire Institute of Sport, Vijayanagar — Sports (opens in a new tab) Judo among IIS sports · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
Khelo India Youth Games 2025 (Bihar) — official site (opens in a new tab) Judo among the 27 KIYG sports · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
PIB — Financial Support to Athletes (5 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab) Khelo India, TOPS, welfare fund, pension · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) Judo in the 65-sport list, Group C, out-of-turn promotion · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
DoPT Office Memorandum, 4 March 2024 — Incentive for Sportspersons (opens in a new tab) Khelo India Games, Junior Nationals and SGFI medallists added · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
Western Railway RRC — Employment Notice RRC/WR/01/2026 (Sports Quota), 27 Aug 2026 (opens in a new tab) Age 18–25 on 1 Jan 2027, level norms, no judo posts in this notice, MoYAS-recognition rule, fees · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
CRPF — Recruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons, HC & Constable (GD), Sports Quota 2026 (Advt. R.II-21/2026-Sports, 17 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) 521 posts incl. judo weight classes, age 18–23 on 1 Aug 2026 and relaxation, qualifications, fee, ₹1 lakh bond · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
SAI NSNIS Patiala — Six Week Certificate Course in Sports Coaching (opens in a new tab) 6 weeks (4 online, 2 offline), ₹14,800, Class 12 + district-level top 3 or state / inter-university / SGFI / national participation · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
SAI NSNIS Patiala — Diploma in Sports Coaching (course page, 2026-27) (opens in a new tab) 1 year, ₹63,800, 785 + 104 seats in 26 disciplines at Patiala, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram; Category A (Class 12 + international record), B (graduation + national record) · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
Khelo India Youth Games 2026 (Telangana) — Sports (opens in a new tab) The 25 disciplines listed for KIYG 2026 · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition — Dietary Guidelines for Indians (booklet), Guideline 8 (opens in a new tab) Cereal-pulse 3:1 protein quality, vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources; most athletes meet protein needs from food, protein powders unnecessary · Last checked 19 Oct 2026

Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and Education Margdarshan will update it.

Judo — scores, weight classes, weigh-in & the road to LA28