Suchika Tariyal calls decision 'unfair' after losing Asian Games SF on weight rule

Suchika Tariyal reacts after Singapore's Hui Hoon Teo was awarded the semifinal win (left) and Suchika Tariyal takes a victory lap with the tricolour after securing a bronze medal

Indian fighter Suchika Tariyal settled for a bronze medal in the women's traditional 60kg Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at the Asian Games on Monday after losing a dramatic semifinal to Singapore's Hui Hoon Teo on the basis of the lower-weight rule.The bout ended in a draw after India's appeal was accepted, but under the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) rules, the winner was decided by the fighters' weight recorded during the morning weigh-in. Teo, who weighed 700 grams less than Suchika, advanced to the final.

A tablet computer or hardcover book is roughly the equivalent of the difference in weight between the two fighters.The bronze medal is India's first-ever medal in MMA, which is making its Asian Games debut at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.The result left the 36-year-old Suchika in tears on the mat after the final decision was announced in Teo's favour.

The bronze also took India's medal tally to six at the Games. Indian shooters have so far won four silver medals and one bronze.Hailing from Kiloi village in Haryana's Rohtak district, Suchika is the 2024 world champion in jiu-jitsu. She has also represented India in judo at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and in kurash at the 2022 Asian Games.

After the bout, Suchika said she believed she had done enough to win."I am a little disappointed with the result of today's bout because I thought I won the fight. I am not able to agree with the result. I was saying that this is not fair," Suchika was quoted as saying by news agency PTI."This is not fair. Because if you look at a player, he or she gives 100 per cent everywhere. And if you feel that the decision is unfair, then it is my right (to express myself).""I won both my rounds very well because I took her down. She did not even take me down. Yes, there could have been two-three connecting punches. I also landed a connecting punch. And in the last minute, she was going back and forth. Then I was applying my kick. I was hitting her again and again.”Asian Games full coverage | Schedule | Medal TallyDespite her disappointment, Suchika said she was proud to become India's first Asian Games medallist in MMA."I have given my 100 per cent and worked hard to reach here.

I am happy I have won a bronze medal for the country."The semifinal was initially awarded to Teo. India then challenged the result by seeking arbitration.MMA Sports Federation president Nikhil Kunder explained how the decision changed after the appeal.

"We challenged the decision by paying an arbitration fee of USD 1000. Three new judges were added (to the earlier three) to conduct the arbitration and scored the bout again.

When those three new judges came, the bout was scored a draw," Kunder told news PTI.He said Singapore then had two options under IMMAF rules."The Singapore team had an option to either counter-arbitrate where three more judges would come in and score the bout again or go for the weight that was taken in the morning weigh-ins. That's the rule of IMMAF (International Mixed Martial Arts Federation)."Kunder said Suchika weighed around 59.2kg during the morning weigh-in, while Teo weighed 58.5kg, which gave the Singaporean the win after the bout was declared a draw.