Every sportsperson has a defining moment that sets them on the path to success. For Suchika Tariyal, that moment came when she faced an eve-teasing incident at the age of 12.
Instead of letting the traumatic experience hold her back, Suchika drew motivation from it and took up judo. Since then, she has represented India at numerous international judo events. Now, she has made history by becoming India’s first MMA medallist at the Asian Games.
WHO IS SUCHIKA TARIYAL?
Suchika began her sporting career at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before moving to the Dada Dev Mandir Centre in Palam and later training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bhopal. Choosing a career in sport was not straightforward, as her family initially worried about the difficulties involved in a young girl travelling for competitions.
Those challenges did not prevent her from progressing. Suchika established herself as an international judoka and represented India at more than 20 international competitions. She also won the National Judo Championship eight times and earned multiple international medals.
Some of her most notable judo accomplishments included gold medals at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games, as well as a silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships. She also competed at several Asian Judo Championships before representing India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. In the women’s -57kg category, she narrowly missed out on a podium finish but gained important experience from competing at one of the sport’s biggest events.
Her journey in combat sports extended beyond judo. Suchika later took up Ju-Jitsu and achieved another major milestone in 2024 when she won gold in the Adults Ju-Jitsu Contact Female -63kg category at the JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships. Her experience in both judo and Ju-Jitsu eventually helped lay the foundation for her transition into MMA.
MMA was not completely unfamiliar to Suchika. She made her debut in the sport in 2017 and began with a victory, but then stayed away from MMA for seven years while continuing to compete successfully in judo and Ju-Jitsu.
She returned to professional MMA late in 2024 after signing a multi-fight contract with BRAVE Combat Federation in the women’s strawweight division. Her comeback bout took place at BRAVE CF 92 in Bahrain in December 2024, where she once again began her return with a win.
Outside the sporting arena, Suchika has also worked in public service. She was appointed as a Head Constable with the CISF and later joined the Department of Sports, Haryana, as a Junior Coach.
WHEN SUCHIKA ALMOST QUIT SPORTS
A knee injury, systemic obstacles and personal difficulties eventually forced Suchika to step away from judo. At 36, she had accepted that her sporting career might have come to an end.
“I had given up. I thought, ‘Alright, it’s fine, it’s done, this is enough,” Tariyal told HT.
However, Pooja Tomar and ONE Championship fighter Himanshu Kaushik played a role in encouraging her to return to competition.
Suchika had already represented India in judo at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and in kurash at the 2023 Asian Games. She then added another significant achievement by becoming a Jiu-Jitsu World Champion in 2024. But while she seemed to be establishing herself across different combat sports, a series of administrative changes began limiting her opportunities.
Her biggest setback came in January when the jiu-jitsu team for the 2026 Asian Games was cancelled and the selection system was changed. The decision meant that the pathway Suchika had been preparing for was suddenly no longer available.
Instead of giving up, she made another switch and entered the MMA trials.
Qualifying for the Asian Games proved challenging as well. The eligibility requirements were modified midway through the process, requiring athletes to break into the top six of the Asian rankings. With government funding unavailable at the time, Suchika paid for her own trip to the Asian Championships.
Her decision eventually paid off. She came back from the championships with two bronze medals for India, improving her position in the selection race. Her performance helped her overcome the administrative obstacles, gain entry into the Target Asian Games scheme and receive support from the MMA-SFI federation.
SUCHIKA'S MOMENT OF GREATNESS
Suchika Tariyal created a historic moment for Indian MMA on Sunday by reaching the women’s traditional -60kg semifinals at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The 36-year-old guaranteed herself at least a bronze medal with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa. She will face the winner of the other quarterfinal between Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo and Iran’s Arezou Salimighalehtaki in the semifinals.
Having secured her place in the last four, Tariyal is now one victory away from making the Asian Games final and upgrading her historic medal to a higher colour.
