Tulika Maan wasn’t sure she would make the cut for the Olympics but now that she has qualified for the Paris Games, the Indian judoka is hoping to return with a medal and has set a target of reaching at least the bronze play-off.
The 25-year-old Tulika, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, on Tuesday secured a continental quota for the Paris Olympics in the +78 kg category.
“Judo has always been full of surprises and one never knows what would happen at any time. So one never knows what will happen that day. Look at how I made it to the Paris Olympics,” Tulika told SAI Media.
“But looking at my training, I am hoping, I will make it to the bronze medal match at least if not the final. We are training for gold.” The qualification period was between June 22, 2022, and June 23, 2024, and Tulika was not confident about qualifying for the Olympics after suffering an injury in 2022.
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But a victory over Canada’s Portuondo Isasi in the round of 32 in the World Championships in Abu Dhabi last month put her on the Olympic ranking.
“The journey has been exciting. My coach (Yashpal Solanki) had drawn up a calendar of events to target, but the Olympics was not part of that,” she said.
However, her fifth-place finishes in the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year and the Asian Championships in Hong Kong in April this year helped her rack up crucial points.
The Delhi girl was ranked 36th with 1345 points.
“I won three bouts each in the Asian Games and the Asian Championship. Hong Kong is when I first thought maybe I could do it,” she said, admitting that she was doubtful about her Olympic chances after she could not win a bout in two Grand Slam competitions in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Astana (Kazakhstan).
“The win in the World Championship helped me.” Tulika feels China’s Su Xin could prove to be her toughest opponent at the Games.
“She will be my biggest competitor as I was injured during a bout with her in the 2022 Asian Championships. I think she was the toughest competitor I have faced. France’s Romane Dicko is also a good competition. She is not as heavy as the Chinese but is quick and powerful,” she said.
Talking about the support that she received as part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Tulika said: “I have got a lot of assistance from TOPS. A lot of us under TOPS get assistance to compete in events throughout the year to sustain our rankings. When the expenses are taken care of, we can compete without tension and can give our best.” Tulika will be the ninth woman judoka from India to compete in the Olympic Games.
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