Suchika Tariyal, India’s first-ever Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) medallist said that ‘weird weight rules’ robbed her of a ‘deserving’ gold medal in the Asian Games. Being 700 grams heavier than her semifinal opponent Hui Hoon Teo had on Monday cost Suchika a place in the 60 kg final. This was despite her MMA bout being declared a draw after India protested the initial decision of the referee, which went in favour of the Singaporean. In the case of a draw, MMA rules state that the heavier of the two fighters will progress. Thus Suchika’s fate was sealed based on the weigh-in on the morning of the bout.

“I was clearly winning the bout, but it was declared a draw very strangely. Instead of (having) one more round, they applied these weird weight rules which virtually robbed me of my deserving gold medal. “Regarding the weight rule, I felt it was a very bad rule. They could have let me play one more round. Even if I had lost that round, I could have accepted it, but I could not accept what happened,” Suchika told PTI on Thursday.

“I am very happy to get a medal. The way I was playing, it looked like I would win the gold medal. I know how I reached that stage. I worked very hard, and I couldn’t lose like that. As far as I know, I was winning both the bouts. Even in the one-minute round, I was dominating her. She was running backwards, and I was on top of her. I had told you that the federation is from Singapore, so maybe they had to make her win. Maybe they had already made a commitment internationally and could not go back on their word,” she added.

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Suchika claimed that the officials could have announced both the competitors as winners.

“When I raised the issue with the federation, the match was declared a draw. They said both of us were equal, but then they gave her the win. I could have been given the win as well,” the 36-year-old said.

“I do not know why they did that. I am not saying it was cheating. If you are declaring the match a draw, you could have given me the win too. What was my shortcoming that you gave her the win? That is all I want to say.” She continued, “You can call it bad luck. I am not saying that I was defeated because of cheating. I am very happy; I cannot express it.”

(With agency inputs)