Suchika Tariyal confirms India's first medal at Asian Games 2026
Suchika Tariyal defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa.
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Suchika Tariyal has secured India’s first-ever Asian Games 2026 medal in mixed martial arts after defeating Mongolia’s 2025 IMMAF World Champion Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women’s traditional 60kg quarter-final at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center in Aichi-Nagoya.
The 36-year-old’s victory guarantees India at least a bronze medal, marking a historic breakthrough for India at the Asian Games. The result puts her in the semi-finals, enough for a podium finish.
MMA has no third-place playoff at these Games, so every fighter who reaches the last four is assured of at least bronze. With mixed martial arts making its Asian Games debut in Aichi-Nagoya, Tariyal’s achievement also marks India’s first-ever medal in the sport at the continental showpiece.
Tariyal will return to the mat on 21st September at 7:00 am IST, and a win there would take her into the gold-medal contest. Her opponent will come from the other quarter-final winner between Iran’s Arezou Salimighalehtaki and Singapore’s Teoh Hui Hoon.
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How Tariyal got here
The route was far from straight. Tariyal built her name in judo, winning gold at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games.
She competed in the women’s 57kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, then represented India in kurash at the Hangzhou Asian Games. In 2024, she won gold in the adults’ ju-jitsu contact 63kg category at the JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships.
Her preparations for the Asian Games 2026 suffered a setback in January when the jiu-jitsu team was dropped from India’s contingent. She moved to the MMA trials instead.
Midway through the process, the qualification rules changed to require a top-six Asian ranking, so Tariyal funded her own trip to the Asian Championships. She won a couple of bronze medals, and the result helped her get into the Sports Ministry’s Target Asian Games Group scheme.
Related: Asian Games 2026 – What to expect from India in each event, sport-wise breakdown
She has also fought twice for BRAVE Combat Federation, winning one bout and losing one. She trains under coach Nikhil Kunder at One Punch Academy in Andheri, Mumbai, and works as a judo coach with the Haryana Sports Department.
Has Suchika Tariyal won a medal at the Asian Games 2026?
Yes, a medal is confirmed. She beat Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa, the 2025 IMMAF World Champion, 2-0 in the women’s traditional 60kg quarterfinal. MMA has no third-place playoff, so every fighter who reaches the semifinals is guaranteed at least bronze. It is India’s first-ever MMA medal at the Asian Games.
When is Suchika Tariyal’s semifinal at the Asian Games 2026?
Her semifinal is Bout 35 at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center, scheduled for 10:30 local time (7:00 am IST). It is a medal bout, and a win would take her into the gold-medal contest. Her opponent will be the winner of the quarterfinal between Iran’s Arezou Salimighalehtaki and Singapore’s Teoh Hui Hoon.
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