InsideSport brings you a series of interviews with Indian athletes who will represent the country at the Paris Olympics. This time, it is judoka Tulika Maan.
A Commonwealth Games medal, a National Games gold, a fifth place at the Asian Games and a few injuries – that sums up the ups and downs that judoka Tulika Maan has been through over the past four years.
Hailing from India’s capital Delhi, Tulika is all set to take part in her first Olympics. She will be the only Indian judoka to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics, in the women’s +78kg category. In an exclusive interaction with InsideSport, Tulika spoke about her medal chances, the competition and the journey so far.
“In judo we have a unique qualification system, so I already knew that I was going to be selected for the Olympics. Although I was excited, I was also worried that from now on all eyes would be on me,” said Tulika.
On the road to the 2024 Paris Olympics
The road to Paris for Tulika was not an easy one. Injuries hampered her progress in 2022 and they struck again this year. But hopefully, all is well now for the 25-year-old. She said, “I injured my knee in 2022, which reopened during my last meet in Abu Dhabi. After that, we stayed in India to fully recover from my injury, but I am fit now. Apart from that, I was worried that I would not be able to qualify for the Olympics because during my match in Uzbekistan, my flatmate left the windows open and the temperature was extremely cold outside. This led to me having a fever and a cold, which made it difficult for me to compete in the qualifying matches.”
“The Tokyo Olympics were an amazing experience for me because everyone started paying attention to me, which was very unexpected. Not only at the Tokyo Olympics, but also at the Asian Games, I made some mistakes that I hope I won’t repeat at the Paris Olympics,” she added.
Judokas like Vijay Yadav and Avatar Singh also competed to represent the country. On standing out among her judoka friends, Tulika said, “Vijay, Avatar and I were in a group. Avatar was not very close to me, but Vijay was. Vijay got injured in the middle and has now retired. It was quite sad for me that a player like Vijay had to retire so soon.”
“Since we are the only representatives, be it our judokas or judo coaches, we want at least 7-8 competitors to represent our country in judo at the Olympics. Also, this is preferable because we have a full team at the Olympics to encourage each other. This was the case at the Judo Olympics, where there were 5-6 of us going, so even when a single athlete was down, we used to push each other, saying that there is always another fight. There is a saying that a group is better than a single person. As a result, there is a significant difference between going alone and going in a group,” said Tulika.
Even though Tulika is going solo, she is in high spirits and will give her best to win a medal for her country. “I think a personal goal for anyone competing at the highest level of sports would be to win an Olympic medal. Everyone wants a gold medal, but I understand that it is very difficult. However, my aim is to get the gold medal for my nation. I hope to perform at my best at the Olympics, keeping in mind that the pride of my country, India, is at stake,” she said.
Preparing for the Olympics
Representing your nation does add pressure, but the Olympics are more of a real test for athletes. Not only intense training but also mental calmness plays a huge role. “There is definitely added pressure because when you go alone, the eyes of the entire nation will be on you because I am the one representing India at the highest level in judo. Our coach inculcated in us the habit of doing yoga to calm ourselves down. So, whenever there is any kind of added pressure, I prefer to do yoga to calm myself down and perform exceptionally,” said Tulika.
“Training has been going very well. As I said, we will be training in Spain for a while before going to Paris to further increase my chances of participating in the Paris Olympics. I have a very specific nutrition plan that helps me with recovery and optimal performance in training. Apart from that, Hydration IV has helped me a lot in keeping my body hydrated to deal with muscle soreness after an intense workout,” she added.
Competition on the biggest stage
The Olympic Games are the biggest sports festival. Not only those from Asia or Commonwealth countries, but the best judokas from all over the world are preparing to win a medal in the top competition. Talking about the competitors, Tulika said, “My main competitor at the moment is Xu Sin because she is the most powerful among all those I have faced so far. Besides her, there is a Japanese player, Akira Sone, who is already an Olympic champion. So I focus a bit more on these two athletes compared to the others.”
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