Rupa Bayor: Breaking Ground in Taekwondo Rankings

Rupa Bayor, a 24-year-old Poomsae Taekwondo competitor from Arunachal Pradesh, India, has made history by ranking eighth in the world rankings. She recently won a bronze medal at the World Taekwondo President Cup in Austria. Bayor is the sole Indian in the top 100 across all Taekwondo categories.

In a groundbreaking achievement, Rupa Bayor has become the first Indian Taekwondo player to secure a spot in the top ten of the world rankings, currently holding the eighth position. This marks a significant milestone as she climbs from her previous career-best position.

Bayor clinched a bronze medal at the World Taekwondo President Cup Europe, held in Innsbruck, Austria. Her performance added another accolade to her name as she had earlier bagged a bronze medal at the Australia Open Taekwondo Tournament in August.

The 24-year-old specializes in Poomsae, a non-combative format of Taekwondo resembling gymnastics routines. Although not an Olympic category, Poomsae is featured in the Asian Games. Bayor, being the only Indian ranked in the top 100, trains at the Indo Korean Taekwondo Academy in Mumbai and is part of the Target Asian Games Group supported by the Indian Sports Ministry.

(With inputs from agencies.)