Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Suchika Blames Weight Rule After Asian Games MMA Bronze
Suchika Tariyal won a bronze medal for India in MMA at the Asian Games.
This was India’s first-ever medal in the sport at the event.
She lost her semifinal to Tea Hui Hoon of Singapore.
Suchika said the fight was declared a draw after she believed she was winning.
Instead of holding another round, officials used a weight rule to decide the winner.
She thinks this unfairly stopped her from reaching the gold-medal match.
However, she said she is still very happy and proud of her bronze medal.
She does not call the decision cheating, describing it as bad luck.
She plans to train for the next World Championship.
Suchika Tariyal won India’s first-ever Mixed Martial Arts medal, taking bronze at the Asian Games.
She lost her semifinal to Singapore’s Tea Hui Hoon after the bout was declared a draw, she said.
Suchika claimed officials used a weight rule instead of holding another round to decide the winner.
She said the result cost her a possible gold medal but stopped short of calling it cheating.
Suchika plans to compete in next year’s World Championship and continue pursuing MMA opportunities.
- Who
- Indian MMA fighter Suchika Tariyal and Singapore’s Tea Hui Hoon were involved in the semifinal; officials applied the deciding rule.
- What
- Suchika won a bronze medal but said a weight rule after a drawn semifinal cost her a chance at gold.
- When
- Thursday, Sept. 24, when Suchika spoke after returning to India; the report does not specify the year.
- Where
- The comments were made at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi after the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
- Why
- According to Suchika, officials used a weight rule instead of allowing another round after declaring the semifinal a draw.
Suchika’s account
Recorded result
Semifinal decision
Suchika’s account
Suchika said she was clearly winning and that the draw was declared strangely.
Recorded result
The bout was declared a draw, after which officials awarded the win to Tea Hui Hoon using the reported weight rule.
Fairness of the rule
Suchika’s account
Suchika called the weight rule bad and said officials should have held another round or awarded her the victory as well.
Recorded result
The reported decision followed the weight rule used by officials; no official response or explanation from the federation is included.
Allegation of wrongdoing
Suchika’s account
Suchika suggested the Singapore federation may have had reasons to support its fighter, but she said she was not calling the outcome cheating.
Recorded result
The available report provides no confirmed evidence of cheating or an official finding of misconduct.
- Athlete
- Suchika Tariyal
- Medal
- Bronze
- Sport
- Mixed Martial Arts
- Semifinal opponent
- Tea Hui Hoon of Singapore
- Reported dispute
- A draw was decided using a weight rule rather than another round, according to Suchika.
- Historic achievement
- India’s first-ever Mixed Martial Arts medal at the Asian Games
- Next goal
- The World Championship
