Photo Courtesy: northeasttoday
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh taekwondo athlete Rupa Bayor has secured her place in sports history by winning a bronze medal at the 9th Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. The event, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, saw Bayor become the first Indian athlete to claim back-to-back medals at the continental tournament. This podium finish also officially qualifies her for the upcoming Aichi Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
Representing India as the only athlete from her home state, Bayor competed against elite talent from 45 nations at the M Bank Arena from May 19 to 20. Her performance has drawn praise from Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who commended her discipline and noted that her success serves as a major source of pride for both the nation and Arunachal Pradesh.
Bayor currently holds the Asia No. 1 and World No. 6 rankings in the Poomsae discipline. Her recent victory follows a strong start to the year, during which she was honored as the Best Taekwondo Poomsae Player of the Year 2026 at the India Taekwondo Gala Awards held in New Delhi.
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