Haryana: Para-Taekwondo player Aruna Singh Tanwar is now officially confirmed to get a bipartisan quota for the Tokyo Paralympics to be held later this year from August 24 to September 5.
She won a silver medal at the Asian Para-Taekwondo Championships in Vietnam in 2018, followed by a gold medal at the Para National in Shimla in 2017, before winning a bronze medal at the World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Turkey, where she lost to Victoria Marchuk of Ukraine in the semi-finals.
In 2008, the young Haryana player took up mixed martial arts when Bhiwani coach Robin Singh went to a government school in his village for a training camp. Aruna competed in the Taekwondo National in the general category and claimed a bronze in the junior category at the SGFI Nationals in 2015 before becoming the junior champion in the 38kg category at the Junior National Taekwondo Championships in Ballabhgarh in 2016.
It is a big booster for her father Naresh, who works as a driver in a chemical factory to support his three children, including Aruna. When her family was struggling financially, their parents took loans apart from spending their savings to support her dreams. It is Aruna’s will and eagerness to compete among the best that has resulted in her being selected for the Tokyo Paralympics
While the Indian taekwondo team missed out on the World and Asian qualifiers for the Tokyo Paralympics held in Jordan last month, Aruna was among eight athletes from eight countries who were offered bipartisan quotas for Tokyo by the IOC and World Taekwondo.
The 21-year-old, who is ranked fourth in the world in her category, will compete in the K-43 category in the 49 kg weight category. Aruna’s coach Ashok Kumar believes the youngster can win a medal in Tokyo and is working on his technique.
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