In the crowded bylanes of Munirka, where traffic never stops honking and children learn to dream quietly, a young girl named Himanshi Tokas was unknowingly building the backbone of a champion. There were no plush academies, no personal coaches, no sparkling white judo mats waiting for her after school. Her world was simple — a middle-class home, a supportive but stretched family, and a determination she herself hadn’t fully discovered yet.
Her first encounter with judo wasn’t dramatic. It was more curiosity than ambition — a local coach, a borrowed gi, and the thrill of learning something new. But what began as a playful hobby soon started shaping her. She liked the discipline, the sharpness of the moves, and the feeling of becoming stronger every day. Still, at that young age, even she didn’t imagine where this path would take her.
Then came the moment that nearly ended everything — an eye injury, sudden and scary enough to make her rethink everything she loved. Add to that the ever-present pressure of school: assignments, exams, teachers who didn’t fully understand why a girl wanted to spend hours training instead of studying. The stress built up quietly. One evening, exhausted and overwhelmed, she thought, Maybe this isn’t for me. Maybe I should stop.
But every hero story has a turning point — and Himanshi’s came from the gentle yet unshakeable voice of her grandmother. A woman who had seen life in all its shades, she refused to let her granddaughter shrink her dreams to fit her circumstances. Sitting beside her, she simply said,
“If you want to stop, it’s fine. But first, promise me one thing… try again. Just once more.”
For Himanshi, those words weren’t just advice — they became an anchor. Something shifted inside her. She decided to give judo one more chance. And that single decision changed the entire trajectory of her life.
From then on, her life became a routine of sweat, sacrifice, and silent victories. School in the morning, practice in the evening, workouts at night — repeating moves until her muscles learned them better than her mind. Eventually, she took one of the toughest steps for a young athlete: she left home and moved to SAI Bhopal. For a girl from Munirka, living away from family, adapting to strict training, and competing with seasoned athletes was intimidating. But she pushed through it, day after day, bruise after bruise.
There were losses — many. Sometimes she cried in the locker room. Sometimes she doubted whether she was good enough. But every time she fell, she got up with something new: sharper reflexes, cleaner throws, stronger belief.
And then came 2025 — the year she transformed from a promising athlete into a rising force on the international stage. Tournament after tournament, she fought with a fire the judo world hadn’t yet seen from India in her category. Gold medals started becoming her habit. Her confidence grew. Her opponents began to fear her grip, her footwork, her unbeatable spirit.
And then, at just 20 years old, the moment arrived.
Himanshi Tokas became the first Indian judoka ever to reach World No. 1 in junior rankings.
No big facilities.
No special privileges.
No shortcuts.
Just a girl from Munirka who refused to stop trying.
But what makes her story even more powerful is what she wants next. She’s not celebrating too long, not slowing down even by a fraction. Her dreams now stretch beyond junior rankings — she wants to dominate the senior world circuit, to bring more international glory home, and to show every Indian girl that no background is “too small” for big dreams.
Whenever she steps onto the mat, she still hears her grandmother’s words echoing in her heart:
“Try again. Just once more.”
And that — more than medals, more than rankings — is what makes Himanshi Tokas a true champion.
