Para Sports
Indian Para Taekwondo Squad at Paralympics 2024: Draw, Schedule, Medal chance
Here is all you need to know about the Indian para taekwondo squad in the Paris Paralympics 2024.
Taekwondo player Aruna Tanwar. (Source: SAI/Twiiter)
India's para-taekwondo player Aruna Tanwar will face off against Nurcihan Ekinci of Turkey in the opening round of the Paralympics 2024, on Thursday.
Aruna, who has deformities in both hands, is India’s sole representative in para taekwondo at the Paris Paralympics, competing in the K44-47kg weight category.
Last year, the 24-year-old became the first-ever Indian para taekwondo athlete to win a medal at the Asian Para Games when she won a bronze medal.
On her second appearance at the Paralympics, Aruna, who hails from Haryana and trains at Sports Authority of India (SAI) Lucknow center, will look to improve her performance.
She won three gold medals at the Taekwondo Championships in Australia in 2023.
At the Tokyo Paralympics, she became the first-ever Indian Taekwondo athlete to qualify for the Paralympics Olympic Games where she reached the quarterfinals in the 49kg category.
Medal chance for Aruna
A win in the first round will put Aruna up against a mighty opponent in the quarterfinals as Asian Para Games and World Championships gold medallist Khwansuda Phuangkitcha got a bye in the first round.
Aruna will look to break her quarterfinal jinx against the Thai Paralympics bronze medallist later on Thursday.
However, her opponent in the first round Nurcihan will be no pushover. The Turkish player is a multiple-time European Championships medallist and won a silver medal at the World Championships.
Even if Aruna overcomes the challenge of the first round, Khwansuda will look to make things complicated for her.
However, Aruna will be determined to rise on the occasion and return home with a medal.
The semifinals and the Medal matches will take place on the same day as the finals scheduled late at midnight as per Indian standard time.
There is also a repechage system in place and two bronze medals will be awarded.
Schedule
August 29
Round of 16
Aruna vs Ekinci Nurcihan at 2:34 PM IST
Quarterfinals (If Aruna qualifies)
Vs Khwansuda Phuangkitcha at 4:46 PM IST
Women K44 -47kg Repechage AT 8:30 PM IST
Women K44 -47kg Repechage 9:01 PM IST
Women K44 -47kg Semifinal 9:34 PM IST
Women K44 -47kg Semifinal 10:07 PM IST
Women K44 -47kg Bronze Medal Contests 10:40 PM IST
Women K44 -47kg Bronze Medal Contests 11:22 PM IST
August 30
Final at 12:04 AM IST
