Itanagar: Rupa Bayor, a Taekwondo athlete from Arunachal Pradesh, has made history by becoming the first Indian to break into the top 10 of the World Poomsae Rankings.
Currently occupying the ninth spot on the global rankings, Rupa’s meteoric rise began in 2021 when she was ranked 123rd globally. She steadily improved her ranking, reaching 42nd in 2022 and 12th in 2023.
This remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian Taekwondo, as Rupa is the first athlete from the country to achieve this feat in any format of the sport.
She also holds the top spot in Asia, solidifying her position as one of the continent’s leading Taekwondo athletes. Her dedication, perseverance, and exceptional skills have inspired a new generation of Indian athletes to strive for excellence in Taekwondo.
Rupa won a bronze medal in the 8th Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Danang, Vietnam in April.
Rupa Bayor’s groundbreaking accomplishment brings immense pride to India and Arunachal Pradesh, highlighting the region’s potential and talent in the world of sports.
The World Poomsae Rankings is topped by Denmark’s Eva Sandersen with 337.30 points.
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Poomsae is a non-combative form of Taekwondo in which the competitors perform a sequence of techniques linked together into a pattern of moves like the gymnastics routines to be evaluated by a panel of judges. This format is currently a non-Olympic category that features in the Asian Games.
