Tariyal became India’s first-ever MMA medalist to win at the Asian Games after defeating Mangolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women’s Traditional 60kg quarterfinal at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. Her semifinal against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo went into overtime and ended in a draw. The result was eventually decided by the morning weigh-in, with Teo around 700 grams lighter. The scenes that followed the decision announcement quickly became a part of the story also. Tariyal struggled to accept the verdict and initially refused to approach the referee, breaking down on the mat itself. The videos of the moment also quickly spread online, with many viewers describing her reaction as ‘an athlete who simply could not accept failing after fighting.’ But the emotion has a history behind it too – this is not just about losing a semi-final, this is about losing the game of life, a chapter she started after being sexually harassed at the age of 12, this is a 24-year long sporting journey.
