At 36, after years of setbacks, selection hurdles and changing sports, Suchika Tariyal finally has the Asian Games medal she had chased since childhood. India’s first Asian Games MMA medallist came within 700 grams of a place in the final at Aichi-Nagoya. From an eight-time national judo champion to a ju-jitsu world champion, Tariyal’s journey has been shaped by financial strain, doubts over her age and her husband Kapil Hooda’s unwavering faith. At 36, after years of setbacks, selection hurdles and changing sports, Suchika Tariyal finally has the Asian Games medal she had chased since childhood. India’s first Asian Games MMA medallist came within 700 grams of a place in the final at Aichi-Nagoya. From an eight-time national judo champion to a ju-jitsu world champion, Tariyal’s journey has been shaped by financial strain, doubts over her age and her husband Kapil Hooda’s unwavering faith.
