This is a giant leap for Indian sports most especially in this field of martial arts and specifically Taekwondo.
A Historic Achievement
It is a great thing for Indian Taekwondo that Aruna Tanwar is going to enter the Paralympics. She has set some path for many young athletes, particularly women who have the ambition of participating in international events for India.
It is sad that currently it is the only Paralympics qualification any Indian Marshall Taekwondo athlete has achieved.
He has been pre-affirmed to be given a wild card entry at the Tokyo Paralympics, which is scheduled for August 24 to September 5, 2024.
Indian Marshall Taekwondo’s President, namely Namdev Shirgaonkar, will be proud of Aruna’s performance.
He wanted the viewers to vote for her asserting that she had exhibited good past performances to qualify for the wildcard slot.
She is the first Taekwondo athlete from India ever to have earned qualification to the Paralympics, said Shirgaonkar in a statement.
World-Class Competitor
She is currently world-ranked at 4 in the women’s U-49 category. In recent years, she has been a top contender, scoring podium positions in the Asian Para Taekwondo Championships and the World Para Taekwondo Championships.
So, her qualification for the Paralympics is not only a personal victory but a considerable addition to Indian Taekwondo.
This shows the capability of the Indian athletes in this sport that is yet to thrive in the country fully.
This has mainly been due to the support provided by the World Taekwondo and the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
Support and Preparation
Image credit: Indian TV news
India Taekwondo has been extending all the support that Aruna needs for her to prepare for the Tokyo Paralympics.
The organization has also forwarded her name to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) which is intended to provide all the required assistance to athletes with medal prospects.
This is done with the aim of ‘Paralympizing’ Aruna’s dream by making sure she is ready to compete at the Paralympic level.
The wild card entry given to Aruna of Nigeria, it was a clear testimony of her effort, commitment and achievement in her chosen sport.
It also signifies the growing popularity of Taekwondo in India and the opportunities that Disable athletes get to have an international tournament.
Inspiration for Future Athletes
Aruna, being born in a small village and taking his talent to the international level, should act as a source of encouragement to most young talents.
This proves that with determination and all the necessary assistance, one can succeed even if there are many barriers in the way.
Her participation in the Tokyo Paralympics is a pride to the Indian nation and an epoch-making moment for the country to produce a potential force in Taekwondo.
High expectations will be pinned on Aruna Tanwar, who is setting her foot for the first time in the Paralympics as India’s Taekwondo player.
The spirit she brings is not one of competition but a declaration of the fact that Indian athletes are quite capable of facing the world and more, come what may.
Chief of AK & NK Aruna Tanwar’s qualification for the Tokyo Paralympics is the most prominent ever in the history of India sports.
She is the first-ever Indian Taekwondo participant in the Paralympics and has paved the way for other participants.
It is a story of hard work, beauty, and the lure of victory, she is one woman who will not let India down in the next games in sight.
Challenges and Setbacks
Aruna has established herself as an inspiring and highly successful athlete, but she also had a disaster in the Tokyo Paralympics disaster. Sadly, she was forced to pull out of the repechage round because she had falls that were likely a fracture.
This injury was a great setback to Aruna. It meant getting to this stage was not easy for her at all. But she remains unbent and has all her fighting spirit intact.
The indignity of losing through injury is perhaps only matched by the determination that arises in the heart of a player like Aruna, who has only used the break as a time to prepare for her comeback.
She can be given acclaim as a powerful story that multiple people have already discovered, along with the future in Taekwondo, which seems rosy for her, given that there are other accomplishments ahead of her.
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References: https://sports.ndtv.com/taekwondo/tokyo-paralympics-aruna-tanwar-set-to-be-indias-first-ever-taekwondo-entry-2460253
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/education/1614020-chandigarh-universitys-aruna-tanwar-becomes-indias-first-ever-taekwondo-athlete-to-qualify-for-paralympics
