Suchika Tariyal wins India’s first Asian Games MMA medal

Suchika Tariyal has become the first Indian athlete to win a medal in mixed martial arts at the Asian Games, securing a bronze in the women’s 60 kg traditional MMA category at the Aichi-Nagoya games.

Tariyal’s bid for a gold medal was decided by a technical tie-breaker following a drawn semi-final bout against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo. After a highly contested match that required a one-minute overtime, a 10-member judging panel declared the fight a draw. Under Asian MMA regulations, the tie was broken using pre-fight weigh-in numbers. Because Teo weighed in approximately 700 grams less than Tariyal, the Singaporean fighter was awarded the decision to advance to the final.

In addition to her historic podium finish, Tariyal expressed public support for boxing legend Mary Kom, who is currently appearing on the reality television show Bigg Boss 20.