At 12, she was eve-teased: Suchika is now India’s first Asian Games MMA medallist

NEW DELHI: At 12, an incident of eve-teasing changed the course of Suchika Tariyal’s life.What began as a need to protect herself eventually became a journey through judo, Ju-Jitsu and mixed martial arts. And on Sunday, the 36-year-old Rohtak native broke new ground for Indian MMA at the Asian Games.Tariyal defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women’s traditional -60kg quarterfinal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games to enter the semifinals and guarantee India at least a bronze medal.In the process, she became the country’s first athlete to secure an Asian Games medal in MMA, which is making its debut at the Games.From self-defence to a life in combat sportsThe decision to take up judo after the eve-teasing incident was never meant to lead to a career on the international stage.