New Delhi
Tulika Maan has qualified for the Paris Games, the Indian judoka aims to return with a medal, targeting at least a bronze. The 25-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medallist secured a continental quota in the +78 kg category for the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
Judo is unpredictable, and you never know what will happen, Tulika told sources. Given my training, I hope to reach the bronze medal match, if not the final. We are training for gold.
The qualification period was from June 22, 2022, to June 23, 2024. Tulika had doubts about qualifying after suffering an injury in 2022. However, her victory over Canada’s Portuondo Isasi at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi last month boosted her Olympic ranking.
My journey has been exciting. My coach, Yashpal Solanki, had planned events to target, but the Olympics wasn’t initially part of it, she said. Fifth-place finishes in the Asian Games and the Asian Championships helped her accumulate crucial points, ranking her 36th with 1345 points.
Tulika sees China’s Su Xin and France’s Romane Dicko as her toughest competitors. She also expressed gratitude for the support from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which provided financial assistance for competing in events.
