'This medal means more than my life': Suchika Tariyal's emotional reaction after creating history at Asian Games

Suchika Tariyal assured India of its first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after defeating Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women's Traditional MMA 60kg quarterfinal on Sunday.The victory took the 36-year-old into the semifinals, where a place guarantees at least a bronze medal as both losing semifinalists receive bronze. Suchika will face Singapore's Teo Hui Hoon in Monday's semifinal.MMA is making its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.After the quarterfinal win, Suchika said the medal meant everything to her after years of hard work and sacrifice by her family.“This medal means a lot to me as me and my coaches have worked very hard to reach here. My family has spent a lot of money for me and provided me with every possible support to help me become a good MMA player. So, this medal means more than my life,” Suchika said in a video posted by Sports Authority of India.Suchika said the level of competition at the Asian Games is different because many professional fighters are part of the field.“The competition at the Asian Games level is very high as mostly pro level players compete here. The scoring also is different as you can’t use knees and elbows. Sometimes it helps too as it gives time to recover. If you get hit on the face, you are knocked out. The chances of injuries are a bit less but it is a very technical sport. Amateurs and professionals both are playing so it is a bit tough.”Earlier this year, Suchika was included in the Sports Ministry's Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) scheme. She also received support for her domestic training before the Asian Games at One Punch Academy in Mumbai, along with equipment support for kits, training and recovery.A native of Rohtak in Haryana, Suchika comes from a modest and conservative family. She took up judo at the age of 12 after an incident of eve-teasing, learning the sport as a form of self-defence.Suchika went on to become an eight-time national judo champion and won several international medals for India. She won gold at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games.At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, she competed in the women's 57kg category and narrowly missed a medal.She made her MMA debut in 2017 with a win before taking a seven-year break from the sport while continuing to compete in judo and jiu-jitsu. Alongside her sporting career, Suchika serves as a Head Constable in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.