Judoka Tulika Maan officially qualifies for Paris Olympics 2024 through Continental quota
Indian judoka Tulika Maan has officially secured her place in the Paris Olympics 2024 to mark a significant achievement for the sport in the country. Tulika, who competes in the +78 kg category, secured a spot for the Summer Games in Paris by virtue of a continental quota. As per IOC guidelines, only one quota place is available for the nations that have failed to secure an automatic berth for the mega event.
According to the latest International Judo Federation (IJF) Olympic rankings, the 25-year-old judoka is ranked 36th with 1345 points. Meanwhile, former Olympian Avtar Singh, competing in the -100 kg category, is placed at 43rd in the men's rankings with 1244 points.
Tulika Maan clinched the Olympic berth by being the highest-ranked judoka within the top 50, as per National Olympic Committee (NOC) eligible for the Continental Ranking Quota, surpassing Avtar Singh.
Tulika Maan’s performance at the 2024 Abu Dhabi World Championships
Tulika Maan’s performance at the 2024 Abu Dhabi World Championships in May helped her seal an important qualification spot for the Paris Olympics 2024. The Delhi-based judoka triumphed over Ana Laura of Canada 2-1 in the Round of 32 but was subsequently defeated by Tomita Wakaba of Japan 2-0 in the last 16.
This performance helped her claim 320 points from the tournament, which ultimately helped her book her ticket to Paris. In contrast, Avtar Singh managed only 20 participation points from the same event, which left him short in the rankings and unable to secure an Olympic berth.
Tulika gave her all in an attempt to qualify for the mega event, as she has competed in six events since February 2024. The six events were Asian Championships Individuals 2024, Tashkent Grand Slam 2024, Dushanbe Grand Slam 2024, Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2024, Baku Grand Slam 2024, and the most recent Abu Dhabi World Championships Seniors 2024 Individuals.
Tulika claimed a silver medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and will now be eyeing a medal in her debut Olympic appearance.