Suchika Tariyal wins country’s first-ever Asian Games mixed martial arts medal
India’s wait for a gold medal continued at the Asian Games on Monday as three medals flowed in from the shooting range, while the country’s first-ever mixed martial arts podium finish came with a heavy dose of heartbreak.
Suchika Tariyal wept on the mat after a bitterly-contested semifinal against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo ended in a draw. The Indian, who was 700gm heavier at the morning weigh-in, lost out under technical rules that favour the lighter competitor in case of a tied bout. She had to settle for bronze, India’s first-ever medal in the combat sport.
The shooting range once again produced the bulk of India’s medals, with Himanshu Dhillon and Rudrankksh Patil winning individual silver and bronze respectively in the men’s 10m air rifle. The duo, along with 18-year-old former junior world champion Parth Mane, also combined to secure team silver.
The three medals took India’s shooting tally to five, comprising four silver and a bronze, but China once again denied the Indians a gold.
World No 1 Sheng Lihao, Changhong Zhang and Sihan Ma combined for 1899.0 points to win gold and improve their own world record of 1898.4 set in Cairo last year
India’s overall tally stood at six medals, including four silver and two bronze.
