India’s Suchika Tariyal secured a historic bronze medal in the women’s traditional 60kg MMA event at the Asian Games 2026 on Monday (Sep 21). However, the 36-year-old Haryana athlete was left heartbroken after her closely contested bout against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo ended in a controversial result. Suchika broke down on the mat and did not respond to her opponent’s handshake following the decision.
What Happened In Suchika Tariyal’s MMA Bout?
Suchika Tariyal faced Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo in a fiercely contested bout, with neither fighter able to establish a decisive advantage during regulation time. The contest moved into overtime, where Teo’s late attack was nullified after Suchika executed a takedown. Both athletes appeared to celebrate at the end of the bout, expecting the result to go in their favour.
The officials initially declared Teo the winner, leaving the Indian camp disappointed. India subsequently lodged a protest against the decision, following which the bout was changed to a draw. The winner was then determined using the competitors’ weigh-in results from the morning of the contest.
Why Was Suchika Tariyal Denied A Place In The Final?
According to the applicable competition rule, the winner had to be decided based on the athletes’ weights after the bout was declared a draw. Suchika was 700 grams heavier than Teo, which meant the Singaporean fighter advanced to the final while the Indian athlete received the bronze medal.
The unusual method of deciding the winner drew comparisons with the boundary countback rule used during the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand. In both cases, the contest could not be separated through the primary result, leading to an additional tiebreaking criterion.
Why Did India Pay $1000 To Protest?
The Indian team submitted an official protest against the initial decision and paid a fee of $1000. The protest resulted in the bout being declared a draw instead of a victory for Teo. However, the weigh-in tiebreaker subsequently came into effect, and Suchika’s greater weight prevented her from reaching the final.
Suchika Tariyal Creates History For Indian MMA
Despite missing out on a place in the final, Suchika Tariyal won India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in mixed martial arts. The bronze medal represents a landmark achievement for the country in the sport.
Aditya Pimpale is a sports journalist currently working with News X, with previous experience at WION, India TV and India Today. With a keen interest in cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis and other major sporting disciplines, he brings a versatile perspective to sports journalism. Aditya has extensive on-ground reporting experience, having covered multiple IPL seasons, including the 2025 and 2026 finals from the stadium. He also covered the 2026 T20 World Cup from the ground, including the final in Ahmedabad. His work focuses on breaking news, match reports, analysis, interviews, features, sports trends and engaging digital storytelling.
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