Nagoya, September 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian MMA fighter Suchika Tariyal alleged “corruption” after her controversial semifinal defeat in the Traditional -60kg event at the Asian Games, following an arbitration process that ended with her opponent being declared the winner on Monday.
Suchika was left devastated after being awarded the loss against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Toon despite believing she had dominated the contest. She broke down following the decision and protested, seeking arbitration.
During the arbitration, three judges reviewed and rescored the bout, ultimately declaring it a draw. Under the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA) rules, the lesser-weight fighter is declared the winner in the event of a draw.
Suchika criticised the decision and alleged that the process had been influenced by national considerations.
“I feel that she had to win because the federation is of Singapore. Even if I had given a little less weight, the decision would have been against me. They put everything on the weight. They thought about their country and not about a player. There is corruption everywhere; I have seen it here today,” Suchika told IANS in an exclusive interaction.
The Indian fighter also said she disagreed with the original decision, maintaining that she had controlled the contest.
“I gave my 100%, and I don’t even agree with the decision that went in her favour. Because I felt that I was going to win. I still feel that I was winning,” she said.
Suchika added that she believed she had performed strongly in both rounds and continued to compete aggressively until the end.
Following the protest, Suchika’s coach Nikhil Kunder explained the arbitration process and how the weight criterion ultimately determined the result.
“We were confident that Suchika had won the fight. According to the rule, when arbitration happens, we select three judges. Those three judges get a chance to score the bout again. After they scored the bout again, it was declared a draw,” Kunder said.
He explained that once the bout was declared a draw, Singapore had the option of seeking counter-arbitration or relying on the weight criterion under AMMA rules.
“Singapore chose not to pursue counter-arbitration and instead went with the lesser-weighed contestant. Unfortunately, Suchika was 700 grams heavier than her. And on those grounds, this match has been awarded to her opponent,” he said.
The result ended Suchika’s campaign in the semifinal and denied her a place in the final.
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