Key Points

This achievement marks Rupa's third consecutive medal at the Australian Open, strengthening her position as one of India's most consistent and promising taekwondo athletes. On her way to the semi-finals, Rupa registered strong wins over opponents from Chinese Taipei, Australia, and the United States before missing out in a closely fought match against Hong Kong.

"I have had a very good journey at the Australia Open. I got to play matches with great players and gained high-level exposure and great experiences," said Rupa as quoted by a press release.

Born in Arunachal Pradesh, she has emerged as a leading figure in Indian taekwondo. She currently trains at the Indo-Korean Taekwondo Academy in Navi Mumbai, under the guidance of Coach Abhishek Dubey.

She first drew attention with her medal at the South Asian Games, followed by historic international achievements including:

-Gold at the 2023 World Taekwondo President's Cup Europe in Istanbul - becoming the first Indian to win gold in a WT Grade 2 Ranked Senior 1 Poomsae event.

-Bronze at the 8th Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Vietnam - India's first-ever senior-level medal in the recognised poomsae category.

-Breaking into the World Top 10 Poomsae Ranking in 2024 - a first for India.

With her recent selection into India's Target Asian Games Group (TAGG), Rupa, an athlete backed by Welspun, is now preparing for the 2026 Asian Games and the World Taekwondo Championships in Hong Kong, where she aims to build on her momentum and continue bringing prestige to the country.

- ANI