How did Shushila Devi perform at Tokyo Olympics? A detailed look at the Indian judoka's performance at the previous Olympic Games

Shushila Devi Likmabam is an Indian judoka who hails from the state of Manipur in India. She represented the country as the sole judo athlete at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, securing her Olympic berth through the continental quota slot. She competed in the women's 48 kg event on her Olympic debut.

It is worth noting that the Manipuri earned qualification at the 2020 Olympics as one of the two highest-ranked Asians outside the top 18 on the Olympic Games Quota (OGQ) Rankings.

Shushila Devi did not have a memorable campaign as she made an early exit from the tournament after losing 0-10 to Olympic bronze medalist Eva Csernoviczki of Hungary in the opening round of the women’s 48kg event at the Nippon Budokan arena.

Competing in her debut Olympic Games, the 29-year-old had no answer to her opponent's first attack, resulting in both judokas earning penalties for avoiding the other’s grip.

Both judokas engaged in fierce battle but neither gained a considerable advantage. Regardless, Csernoviczki's experience and tactics allowed her to seize control against the Indian.

She went on to secure victory by pinning Likmabam down for the required 20 seconds, earning an Ippon, and thus advanced to the Round of 16.

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Shushila Devi's judo career in brief

Before making her Olympic debut, Likmabam had showcased her prowess in judo at various events. Remarkably, she won the silver medal in the women's 48 kg category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, suffering a narrow defeat against Kimberley Renicks in the gold-medal match. Likmabam also earned another silver medal from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

In addition, her standout performance came in the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal, where she clinched the gold medal. Despite her debut Olympics not yielding a satisfying result, her previous achievements and her continued commitment and dedication to the sport position her as a prominent figure in judo in the country.