At age 12, Suchika Tariyal began practicing Judo to learn self-defense following an incident of eve-teasing. More than ten years later, that choice led her to the Asian Games podium, where she clinched India's opening medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Suchika beat Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa to advance to the semifinals of the women's traditional 60kg MMA (mixed martial arts) event on Sunday. The victory guaranteed her a medal and added another milestone to her distinguished combat-sports career.
Baigalmaa launched an aggressive assault in the second and final round to turn the fight around, but Suchika's defense stood strong under heavy pressure. As her opponent kept pushing forward, Suchika executed a key reversal, took Baigalmaa to the canvas, and retained control until the final bell to secure the win.
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This medal represents the newest landmark in Suchika's athletic path, which evolved from Judo to Ju-Jitsu and ultimately to MMA.
Originally from Rohtak, Haryana, Suchika started her training at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before transferring to the Dada Dev Mandir Centre in Palam and subsequently training at SAI Bhopal. She built a stellar career as a judoka, competing for India in over 20 international events and capturing eight National Judo Championship titles.
Her Judo achievements featured gold medals at both the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games, along with a silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships. Additionally, she represented India across several Asian Judo Championships and participated in the women's -57 kg division at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
However, Judo was merely her starting point. Suchika later transitioned to Ju-Jitsu and attained the top spot in the sport in 2024, taking gold in the Adults Ju-Jitsu Contact Female -63 kg division at the JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships.
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Shifting into MMA marked another progression in her combat sports journey. She made a victorious MMA debut in 2017 before stepping away from the sport for seven years to focus on Judo and Ju-Jitsu competition.
In December 2024, she made her return to professional MMA at BRAVE CF 92 in Bahrain after securing a multi-fight deal with BRAVE Combat Federation, opening a new chapter in her fighting career.
Outside of athletic competition, Suchika has established a professional background in public service and sports administration. She was hired as a Head Constable in the CISF and later served as a Junior Coach with the Department of Sports, Haryana.
