During the women’s 70-kilogram judo quarterfinals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, Chinese judoka Tang Jing was disqualified after match officials ruled she bit the left arm of Japanese opponent Maeda Rin. The incident occurred at the Aichi International Arena roughly one minute into the bout when Maeda secured the advantage and attempted a hold down technique, prompting a referee stoppage and an immediate on-mat appeal from the Japanese competitor, according to local Japanese sports reports.
Quarterfinal Disqualification at Aichi International Arena
The match came to a sudden halt one minute and 12 seconds after the opening whistle when Maeda stood up and directed the referee’s attention toward her left arm. Japanese media outlets including The Digest and Daily Sports reported that Maeda displayed both her uniform sleeve and the sports tape covering her skin to match officials, demonstrating a distinct bite mark left underneath the athletic tape. Following a review of the physical evidence, the tournament officiating crew penalized Tang with a hansoku-make, meaning a disqualification loss. Official tournament records confirm the match ended at 1:12 with Maeda advancing via ippon.
Japanese media coverage quickly seized upon the rarity of the incident within combat sports. The Digest drew comparisons to international soccer player Luis Suárez, referencing the multi-game bans Suárez received for biting opponents during professional matches.
Mixed Zone Silence and Abandoned Repechage
Following the ruling, Tang appeared visibly confused by the disqualification and offered no detailed explanation to reporters in the mixed-zone area. When approached by journalists from The Digest, Tang answered simply with a refusal before departing the venue entirely. The forfeit eliminated her from the main bracket and nullified her scheduled repechage match against India’s Inungambi Takhellambam, which she missed, resulting in a default defeat.
While the disqualification ended Tang’s tournament campaign, the disruption failed to derail Maeda’s path to the podium. Returning to the mat for the semifinal round, Maeda defeated North Korea’s Mun Songhui to secure her spot in the gold medal match. She then faced Kazakhstan’s Azhar Askhat in the final, scoring two waza-ari techniques to combine for an ippon victory and claim the tournament championship.
Tang Jing Receives Disqualification Loss in Quarterfinals
What official penalty did Tang Jing receive?
Tournament officials penalized Tang Jing with a hansoku-make, resulting in an immediate disqualification loss recorded at one minute and 12 seconds into the quarterfinal match.
Who did Maeda Rin face next after the quarterfinal incident?
Maeda advanced to the semifinals to defeat Mun Songhui of North Korea, before ultimately facing and beating Azhar Askhat of Kazakhstan in the gold medal match.
Did Tang Jing participate in the repechage rounds?
No. After being disqualified in the quarterfinals, Tang did not show up for her scheduled repechage bout against India’s Inungambi Takhellambam and was handed a default defeat.
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