"I'm on cloud nine"- Resilient para taekwondo athlete Aruna Tanwar excited to win bronze at Asian Para Games 2023

A fracture in the right foot wasn’t the kind of preparation Aruna Tanwar was expecting ahead of the 2023 Asian Para Games.

Born with a deformity in both hands, she scripted history by becoming the first Indian Para Taekwondo player to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics. Tanwar lost to the then-fourth-seeded Espinoza Carranza of Peru in the quarterfinals before being forced to retire from the repechage round due to injury.

Aruna Tanwar recently did extensive rehabilitation for two months at the Sports Authority of India Complex in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh before the continental games in China. The gritty 23-year-old international para taekwondo player competed in the K44-47KG event.

On Monday (23 October), at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, Aruna delivered on the day and picked up bronze, defeating home favorite Chen Tong 12-13. The Indian para-athlete from Bhiwani, Haryana said it was a daunting task to face her opponent, who had the backing of the home fans in China.

"My opponent from China was supported by an enthusiastic home crowd while there was hardly anyone to cheer me up. But at the end, I walked away with the bronze medal," Aruna told Sportskeeda over the phone from Hangzhou.

Aruna said it was difficult to put her excitement into words after winning bronze on her debut at the Asian Para Games.

"I’m on cloud nine," she said.

Being vegetarian, the Indian para-athlete faced another challenge as she had to rely mostly on fruits. She added:

"Hospitality in Hangzhou is excellent. The food is good. But being vegetarian, I do face problems during international competitions. There was Indian food at the Games Village but I wasn't able to make necessary adjustments. So, I’m having meals to taste.”

Aruna also stated that the Government and private sponsors were extremely helpful during her journey to the podium finish in China.

"I want to thank everyone who has helped me achieve a good performance in Hangzhou."

This wasn’t the time Aruna Tanwar faced a challenging situation in the build-up to a major competition in her sporting career. During the delayed 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games held in Japan in 2021, Aruna suffered a hairline fracture in her leg and didn’t progress beyond the quarterfinals.

"The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games was a learning experience," Aruna Tanward concluded.