"My victory over the WR 1 has given me confidence I can beat anyone" - India's judo star Tulika Maan
From almost giving up her beloved sport to defeating the reigning World No. 1, Tulika Maan has come a long way. Now preparing for the Paris Olympics, the ace judoka is a bundle of excitement ahead of her maiden appearance at the greatest spectacle the world of sports has to offer.
As the Paris Olympics draw nearer, the 25-year-old from Delhi finds her anticipation and excitement growing as the days roll by.
“There is no pressure, only excitement. I am past that stage of my career when I used to become nervous before a contest. If I get too tense, I won’t be able to compete,” Tulika told Sportskeeda.
The last few months have been a rollercoaster ride for Tulika. She missed out on a medal at the Asian Games last year following a crushing 0-10 defeat at the hands of Amarsaikhan Adiyasuren in the bronze-medal play-off. Speaking of the disappointing outing, she said:
“The Asian Games defeat was a big blow for me. The judges were also at fault as some of my scoring moves were overlooked and points were not awarded. But I had to get over that disappointment and make a comeback."
Strong comeback for Tulika Maan after Asiad defeat
The comeback turned out to be an impressive one for Tulika, as she stunned World No. 1 and reigning Asian champion Kim Hayun of South Korea in the Women’s 78 kg quarter-final at the Asian Judo Championship.
“I was in superb form that day. It gave me confidence that I may have chance of notching up an upset or two at the Olympics. I may have to face Kim at the Olympics as well. Probably in my second or third fight. After my win at the Asian Championship, I will now go to Paris in a much better frame of mind,” she said.
That victory is one of the biggest milestones of Tulika’s career so far. The win convinced her that she had an outside chance of bagging a medal at the Paris Olympics.
“Everyone goes to the Olympics to win medals. I know I will be the underdog. But my victory over the current world number one has given me the confidence that I can beat anyone on my day,” she said.
Judo: From pass-time activity to obsession
However, Tulika’s career as a judoka almost ended before it had even started as she had given up her beloved sport for several years before taking it up again in 2016.
“I started judo just as a time pass thing. My mother was in the Delhi Police and she enrolled me in a martial arts class in the neighbourhood as I used to become bored all by myself when she was away for duty. I won gold in the school nationals but did not consider taking the sport seriously at that stage as I was good in studies,” she said.
“I left the sport when I was in class seven. One of the reasons that led to this decision was the absence of a good coach. I started again in 2016 because I wanted to reignite my connection with the sport. My first competition after that was the nationals where I won gold. I never looked back after that," she added.
But even a victory at the school nationals was not enough to convince her to take up judo as a career. It took a rather morale-crushing defeat in her first appearance in national colors that ignited the fire in her.
“I won gold in my first senior nationals in 2017 even though I was still a junior at that stage. However, I still did not consider judo as a career choice. That decision was made when I lost my first fight at the international level the same year,” Tulika informed.
“My first senior tournament was the 2017 Asian Championship in Hong Kong. I lost my first bout to the competitor from Chinese Taipei. That fight had ended almost as soon as it started. I cried a lot after that. It was then that I decided that I will have to prove myself,” she added.
“Even now, judo is not my career. It is my passion. Just as livings beings cannot survive without food, I cannot survive without judo," she concluded.
This childhood passion has now taken her to the Olympic stage. When Tulika strides into the judo arena at the Paris Olympics, a billion prayers will be egging her on towards her dream of Olympic glory.