Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh’s Rupa Bayor has scripted history, becoming the first Indian Taekwondo athlete to break into the world’s top 10, securing the eighth rank in the latest global rankings.
The Asian bronze-medallist climbed one spot from her previous career-best position. She is the only Indian in the top 100 of the world rankings across categories.
The 24-year-old Poomsae specialist from Arunachal Pradesh strengthened her international standing after winning a bronze medal at the World Taekwondo President Cup Europe held in Innsbruck, Austria, from November 29 to 30.
Earlier in August, Bayor added another bronze to her tally at the Australia Open Taekwondo Tournament.
In Taekwondo, Poomsae (or Pumsae/Poomse) means “pattern” or “form,” representing a choreographed sequence of defense and attack movements against imaginary opponents, serving as a core training method to develop fundamental techniques, balance, coordination, timing, and breath control, progressing from simple to complex as a student advances through belt ranks. Although Poomsae is not an Olympic discipline, it is featured at the Asian Games.
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Bayor, who trains at the Indo Korean Taekwondo Academy in Mumbai, was inducted into the Sports Ministry’s Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) in April, further boosting her journey as one of Arunachal Pradesh’s rising sporting talents.
