Nagoya: India’s Suchika Tariyal secured a historic bronze medal in the women’s traditional 60kg MMA event at the 2026 Asian Games after a dramatic semifinal against Singapore’s Teo Hui Hoon ended in a draw. Teo advanced to the final because she was around 700 grams lighter at the morning weigh-in.
The bout was closely contested and went into overtime after the fighters remained level. The initial judging favoured Teo, prompting the Indian camp to challenge the decision. Three new judges subsequently reviewed the contest and scored it as a draw. Under the applicable Asian MMA rules, when a drawn contest remains unresolved, the lighter athlete at the morning weigh-in can be declared the winner. Teo weighed about 58.5kg, while Tariyal was around 59.2kg, according to reports citing MMA Sports Federation president Nikhil Kunde.
The Indian team reportedly paid a $1,000 arbitration fee while challenging the initial verdict. With Teo’s lower weight giving her the tiebreak, Tariyal was eliminated from the gold-medal contest but retained bronze.
Tariyal’s medal is historic for India, because MMA is making its Asian Games debut in Nagoya. The 36-year-old athlete has previously competed in other combat sports, adding further significance to her achievement in continental sport.
