Nagoya, September 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian MMA fighter Suchika Tariyal has set her sights on the gold medal after assuring India of a historic medal at the Asian Games 2026, saying she will look to finish her semifinal bout through a takedown, ground-and-pound victory or submission.
Tariyal defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women’s traditional 60kg quarterfinal on Sunday to secure India’s first medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Delighted after confirming the medal, Suchika said her focus had already shifted to reaching the final.
“I feel very good that I have confirmed a medal for my country. I hope to perform well tomorrow and play in the gold medal match,” she said.
Suchika will compete in the semifinal on Monday, with the final scheduled for Tuesday.
Explaining her approach, she said she followed the strategy prepared by her coaches and intends to stick to the same plan in the next bout.
“As my coaches have told me, I went with the same game plan. I have to play the same way as I have played earlier. My game plan is the same; I would see to finish the fight with a takedown and ground and pound win or win it with submission,” she said.
The Indian fighter said her journey in combat sports began in childhood, with judo providing the foundation that helped her transition into MMA.
“I have been playing this game since my childhood. It was my dream since childhood to learn fighting. So I chose judo, due to which I have been able to come this far,” she said.
“It is important to have a good and perfect base. Judo helped me a lot in this. I have worked very hard to achieve this. I used to do it for judo, now I am doing it for MMA,” she added.
Suchika also spoke about her six-week training camp in Mumbai, where she trained at One Punch under coach Nikhil.
“I prepared for this in Mumbai, which was my six-week camp. The gym where I trained under Nikhil sir in One Punch,” she said.
She recalled travelling through Mumbai’s heavy traffic during the camp and said her coach continued to support her despite the challenges.
“When I used to travel a lot, I used to face a lot of traffic, because the traffic in Mumbai is very bad. Even then, sir used to wait for me. So, it was very good preparation, and he gave me complete attention,” she said.
“He perfected everything for me. Whatever the shortcomings were, he focused on those things, which I was able to do here today. My camp was also very good,” Suchika added.
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