Indian Taekwondo athlete Rupa Bayor has etched her name into sporting history by becoming the first Indian Taekwondo player to reach the elite global rankings, achieving a career-best World Rank 6 and Asia Rank 1 in the Poomsae category a phenomenal rise for a sportsperson from a small village in Arunachal Pradesh.
The 24-year-old’s journey to the top has not been easy. Growing up in a humble setting, Rupa spent her childhood helping out on farms under the care of her widowed mother before discovering martial arts through her uncle, a karate master. Though she began with karate, it was Taekwondo Poomsae that ignited her passion and transformed her life.
Rupa currently trains at the Indo-Korean Taekwondo Academy in Mumbai under coach Abhishek Dubey and has steadily climbed the global rankings with a string of historic performances. She rose into the World Top-10 Poomsae Rankings, becoming the first Indian to do so previously achieving a world ranking inside the top ten and Asia’s top spot in the discipline.
Her medal haul includes:
Bronze at the Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Vietnam, India’s first senior-level podium in that event.
Bronze at the World Taekwondo President Cup Europe and multiple podium finishes at the Australian Open, strengthening her global standing.
Rupa’s achievements have also earned her induction into India’s Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) scheme, spotlighting her as a key medal hopeful for the 2026 Asian Games and future world championships. Her rise from village beginnings to world-class athlete not only charts a new course for Indian Taekwondo but also stands as an inspiration to young girls and athletes nationwide, proving that dedication, perseverance and passion can break barriers and create history.
