Khushbu Darjada is a 15-year-old Indian judoka from Gujarat who won the silver medal in the women’s under-63kg judo event at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on 2 November 2026. Her medal was India’s first of the Games and only the second judo medal ever won by India at the Youth Olympics, after Thangjam Tababi Devi’s silver in 2018. Darjada reached the final in Dakar with three straight wins before losing the gold-medal bout to Germany’s Jolina Reinhold.
| Full Name | Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada |
|---|---|
| Age | 15 years old (as of November 2026) |
| Date of Birth | 16 December 2010 (as reported by The Logical Indian) |
| Height | Not publicly disclosed |
| Birthplace | Gir Somnath, Gujarat, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Judoka (women’s -63kg) |
| Coach | Lal Krishan Baghel |
| Known For | Youth Olympics 2026 judo silver medallist; Asian Cadet Championships bronze medallist |
| Net Worth 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
Early Life
Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada hails from Somnath in the Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. She belongs to the Siddi community, whose ancestors came from East Africa and settled in India centuries ago, and she is the youngest of seven siblings. Her elder sister Shahin Darjada, a junior Asian champion, was the inspiration for her sporting career: Khushbu first followed her sister to the district training centre in Somnath, and it was Shahin’s example that drew her into judo.
Darjada did not start out as a judoka. Reports say she was initially training to become a track runner, but when her sister won a gold medal at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2020, she decided to follow her into judo instead. She took up the sport at around the age of 11 — reports place her start in 2021 or 2022 — and trained at the district sports school in Gir for three years. Her coach at the Vijayi Bharat Center in Ahmedabad, Lal Krishan Baghel, has said she was well suited to combat sports.
Her progress was rapid. Within a few years of starting judo she was competing at national level, and by 2026 she had broken through internationally — from a district training centre in Somnath to a Youth Olympic podium in about five years.
Career
Darjada’s first international medal came earlier in 2026, when she won bronze in the women’s under-63kg category at the Asian Cadet Championships in Amman, Jordan. She reached the podium through the repechage after losing her quarter-final to Uzbekistan’s Dinora Samandarova. She also won gold at the 2026 National Cadet Championships, and those results earned her India’s single judo quota place for Dakar, allocated to the women’s under-63kg category.
At Dakar 2026, Darjada opened her campaign in the round of 16 against Guinea’s Mamaissata Camara, winning 1-0. In the quarter-finals she beat Morocco’s Abir Bouazzaoui by ippon, and in the semi-finals she beat Algeria’s Dounia Berrahoual, again by ippon, to become only the second Indian to reach a Youth Olympic judo final. The final, held late on Monday 2 November 2026, was against Germany’s Jolina Reinhold, the cadet world champion. Reinhold won the bout by ippon, and Darjada took the silver medal.
The result carried real historical weight. Darjada became only the second Indian judoka ever to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games, following Thangjam Tababi Devi of Manipur, who won silver in the women’s 44kg category at Buenos Aires 2018. Her silver was also India’s first medal of the Dakar 2026 Games, and it came a day before swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu won bronze in the pool.
Darjada is already looking ahead. After the Dakar final she said she wanted to win gold at the Khelo India Youth Games scheduled for December 2026. For now, though, her immediate wish after the medal was a simple one, reported after the final: to return home, meet her friends and enjoy a visit to a mall in Ahmedabad.
Personal Life
Darjada is 15 years old and, as a minor, keeps a low public profile away from judo. This article covers only her public sporting record and the background that reputable news outlets have already published about her. What those reports describe is a young athlete from a close family: the youngest of seven siblings, she grew up following her elder sister Shahin into sport, and her sister remains her inspiration and role model.
Her Siddi heritage has drawn attention in coverage of her medal, with reports noting that she was sometimes mistaken for an outsider when the Indian team arrived in Dakar, in Senegal — a country whose people share her community’s African roots. She has spoken of wanting to see the Indian flag raised at the Games, and her silver medal delivered that moment.
Khushbu Darjada Net Worth 2026
No publicly disclosed figure exists for Khushbu Darjada’s net worth in 2026, and this article does not estimate one. She is a 15-year-old amateur judoka, and no endorsement deals, sponsorship values or prize-money totals have been reported for her in reliable sources.
That is normal for a junior athlete in an Olympic sport: judo at cadet and junior level carries little prize money, and commercial deals typically follow sustained senior success. Her Youth Olympics silver medal may attract support from sponsors or sports foundations, but until any such arrangement is publicly reported, her net worth should be treated as not publicly known rather than guessed at.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Khushbu Darjada?
Khushbu Darjada is 15 years old. She was born on 16 December 2010, according to The Logical Indian, making her 15 when she won the Youth Olympics judo silver at Dakar in November 2026. A small number of reports wrongly described her as 18.
What is Khushbu Darjada’s height?
Khushbu Darjada’s height has not been publicly reported by any reliable source. No official profile or news report found as of November 2026 lists her height, so it is recorded here as not publicly disclosed.
Where is Khushbu Darjada from?
Khushbu Darjada is from Somnath in the Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. She belongs to the Siddi community of Gujarat, whose ancestors came from East Africa and settled in India hundreds of years ago, and she trains at the Vijayi Bharat Center in Ahmedabad.
Who is Khushbu Darjada’s sister?
Khushbu Darjada’s elder sister is Shahin Darjada, a junior Asian champion in judo. Shahin inspired Khushbu to take up the sport, and Khushbu followed her to the district training centre in Somnath. Khushbu is the youngest of seven siblings.
What medal did Khushbu Darjada win at the Youth Olympics 2026?
Khushbu Darjada won the silver medal in the women’s under-63kg judo event at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on 2 November 2026. She beat opponents from Guinea, Morocco and Algeria to reach the final, where she lost by ippon to Germany’s Jolina Reinhold. She is only the second Indian judoka ever to medal at the Youth Olympics.
What is Khushbu Darjada’s net worth?
Khushbu Darjada’s net worth is not publicly disclosed. She is a 15-year-old amateur judoka, and no reliable source has reported her earnings or endorsements, so no figure is given here. Fellow young Indian athlete Anmol Kharb is another teenage prospect whose finances are similarly not publicly reported.
