From a Traumatic Childhood Incident to India’s First MMA Medal at Asian Games: Suchika Tariyal’s Story

From being inappropriately touched as a child to securing India’s first-ever MMA medal at the Asian Games 2026, Suchika Tariyal has come a long way.

The 36-year-old secured the bronze medal after successfully making her way through the 60kg MMA event. Despite losing her bout against her Singaporean opponent 2-0, she etched her name in history by becoming India’s first-ever Asian Games MMA medallist.

Her story is marked by childhood trauma and various hurdles, while her sporting journey has stretched across multiple disciplines. In this article we will go through the details of Suckiya Tariyal.

The Childhood Trauma That Changed Suchika Tariyal’s Life

Suchika was born in the small town of Budhana in Uttar Pradesh. She later moved to Rohtak, Haryana, where she was raised. At the age of 12, she started learning self-defence following an incident of inappropriate touching at a barber shop.

At the time, she did not fully understand what had happened but felt uncomfortable. She did not even tell her mother about the incident. She returned home with her hair half cut, carrying the impact of the experience with her.

The incident pushed her to learn self defence and prepare herself to deal with any such situation in the future.

Suchika also served as a CISF constable Head Constable and Junior Coach with Department of Sports, Haryana. 

Key Details about Suchika Tariyal 

Suchika Tariyal’s Sports Career and Major Medals 

In a remarkable achievement, Suchika has represented India internationally in 4 different sports judo, kurash, jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts  , showcasing her versatility across multiple disciplines. 

She has won a total of 11 major medals across National, Regional, Continental and World Championships. Below is the breakdown of her achievements:

1. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

• 🥉 Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026):Bronze Medal(Women's Traditional -60kg)

• 🥉 Asian MMA Championship (Luzhou, China - Jan 2026):Bronze Medal(Women's Traditional -60kg)

• 🥉 Asian MMA Championship (May 2026):Bronze Medal(Women's Traditional -60kg)

• 🥇 MMA-SFI National Championship:2 Gold Medals

2. Ju-Jitsu

• 🥇 JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships (Heraklion 2024):Gold Medal(Adults Contact Female -63kg)

3. Judo

• 🥇 Commonwealth Judo Championships (Walsall 2019):Gold Medal(Women's -57kg)

• 🥇 South Asian Games (Kathmandu 2019):Gold Medal(Women's -57kg)

• 🥈 Commonwealth Judo Championships (Jaipur 2018):Silver Medal(Women's -57kg)

• 🥉 Taipei Asian Open (2019):Bronze Medal(Women's -57kg)

• 🥇 Senior National Judo Championships:8 Gold Medals

• 🥉 National Games (2015):1 Bronze Medal

Her recent remarkable achievement at the Asian Games 2026 will definitely inspire thousands of athletes across sports to overcome challenges and pursue their dreams.