India's Aruna Tanwar Faces Tough Defeat at Paris Paralympics

Aruna Tanwar of India faced a severe 0-19 defeat to Nurcihan Ekinci of Turkey in the women's K 44-47kg category at the Paris Paralympics. Ekinci scored consistently, while Tanwar struggled and conceded a penalty point. The K44 category includes athletes with arm impairments above the elbow. Para taekwondo was introduced in the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, featuring gender-specific weight categories and unique scoring rules.

India's Aruna Tanwar suffered a heavy 0-19 defeat to Nurcihan Ekinci of Turkey in a round of 16 contest in the women's K 44-47kg category of the Paris Paralympics on Thursday.

Aruna could not match the agility and skill of her Turkish opponent, who dominated the five-minute bout, scoring points at will. Ekinci accumulated points through nine successful body kicks, each worth two points, while the Indian athlete also conceded a penalty point known as 'gam-jeom'.

The K44 category caters to athletes with impairments in one arm above the elbow, and Para taekwondo was first introduced at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics. Unlike the able-bodied Olympic Games, head kicks and punches are prohibited, making protective equipment and sensor technology essential for fair play. Athletes can earn varying points for different types of kicks, while certain violations can result in a gam-jeom, awarding a point to the opponent.

(With inputs from agencies.)