Suchika Tariyal scripted history at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, becoming the first Indian athlete to win a medal in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) at the continental showpiece.
The 36-year-old Indian secured a bronze medal in the women’s Traditional MMA 60kg category, marking a landmark moment for Indian combat sports. MMA is making its Asian Games debut at the Aichi-Nagoya edition.
Tariyal had assured herself of a medal after defeating Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the quarterfinals on Sunday to enter the last four.
In the semifinal, Tariyal faced Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo. The bout went into an extra round before the Singaporean prevailed 2-0, leaving the Indian with the bronze medal.
The historic medal caps a remarkable combat-sports journey for Tariyal, who has represented India in multiple disciplines, including judo and kurash, before making her mark in MMA. She competed in judo at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and in kurash at the 2023 Asian Games.
Tariyal’s achievement also gives Indian MMA a significant breakthrough on one of Asia’s biggest sporting stages, with her bronze becoming the country’s maiden Asian Games medal in the discipline.
Her historic podium finish adds another milestone to India’s campaign at Aichi-Nagoya and places Tariyal’s name in the record books as India’s first Asian Games MMA medallist.
