She once fought harassment; now Suchika Tariyal assures India an MMA medal at Asian Games 2026

TimesofIndia in Nagoya: What began as a journey of self-defence has taken 36-year-old Suchika Tariyal to the podium, in a sport that is not only new to the Games but also relatively new to her.While athletes from more established disciplines were looking to open India’s medal account on Sunday, the multifaceted Suchika carved out a piece of history, assuring the country of a medal in the traditional 60kg MMA category.She defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the quarterfinals to book her place in the last four, where she will face Singapore’s Hoon Hui Teo.The route to the podium has been an arduous one for the Rohtak-born athlete.A victim of harassment as a child, Suchika refused to be cowed by those experiences. Instead, they became a motivation to make herself physically and mentally stronger.She represented India in judo at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where she competed in kurash, before being crowned world champion in ju-jitsu in 2024. Her first brush with MMA came in 2017, but she returned to the sport only in 2024.Growing up in a conservative family in Haryana, Suchika had to overcome societal pressures and social barriers to pursue her sporting ambitions. From being a self-trained athlete, she went on to become an eight-time national judo champion. She later appeared on a reality show and ventured into professional MMA fights before switching to the amateur circuit with the Asian Games in her sights.“I’m thrilled that I have assured my country a medal. I hope I will fight for the gold. Although I’ve been an athlete since childhood, it has taken a long time to get here,” said Suchika, who works as a junior coach with the Haryana sports department.Suchika, a largely self-funded athlete, who is still paying off loans taken to pursue her passion, believes her years as a judoka have provided the foundation for her MMA journey.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.