India’s Aruna Tanwar Suffers Heavy Defeat in Women’s K 44-47kg Para Taekwondo at Paris Paralympics
Indian para taekwondo athlete Aruna Tanwar faced a crushing 0-19 defeat against Nurcihan Ekinci of Turkey in the round of 16 contest in the women’s K 44-47kg category at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday.
Tanwar proved to be no match for her Turkish opponent, who dominated the five-minute round, scoring points at will. Ekinci relentlessly executed body kicks, earning two points each for a total of 18 points. Tanwar also conceded a penalty point (gam-jeom) during the contest.
The K44 category in para taekwondo is reserved for athletes with impairments in one arm above the elbow. Tanwar’s defeat marks a disappointing end to her Paralympic campaign.
Para taekwondo made its debut at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 and has quickly gained popularity. Athletes compete in five separate weight categories for each gender.
Unlike able-bodied taekwondo, para taekwondo matches consist of a single round lasting up to five minutes. Kicks to the head and punches are prohibited due to the varying abilities of athletes to block.
Athletes wear protective gear and “sensor socks” that detect points scored when hitting the opponent’s torso. Regular kicks earn two points, turning kicks three points, and spinning kicks four points.
Fouls such as head kicks, grabbing, pushing, kicks below the belt, or stepping out of bounds result in a gam-jeom, awarding a point to the opponent.
