Aruna Tanwar is an Indian para-taekwondo athlete who became the first Indian to qualify for the para-taekwondo event at the Paralympic Games. She represented India at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo in 2021, where para-taekwondo made its debut as a Paralympic discipline.
| Name | Aruna Tanwar |
|---|---|
| Sport | Para-taekwondo |
| Country | India |
| Home state | Haryana |
| Classification | K44 |
| Major event | 2020 Summer Paralympics, Tokyo (held 2021) |
| Distinction | First Indian para-taekwondo athlete to qualify for the Paralympics |
Aruna Tanwar hails from Haryana, a state known for producing a significant number of Indian combat-sport athletes, including wrestlers and taekwondo practitioners. She took up taekwondo at a young age and later transitioned into para-taekwondo, training and competing in the K44 sport class, which is contested by athletes with impairments affecting the arm or hand.
Tanwar competed on the international para-taekwondo circuit in events organised under the umbrella of World Taekwondo. Her performances in qualifying competitions earned her a wild card entry to the Tokyo Paralympics, where para-taekwondo featured for the first time on the Paralympic programme.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, she competed in the women's K44 −49 kg category, becoming the first athlete to represent India in para-taekwondo at the Paralympics. Her qualification was recognised as a milestone for the sport in India and helped raise the profile of para-taekwondo within the country's growing Paralympic movement.
Tanwar's qualification and participation marked a pioneering moment for Indian para-taekwondo. Her presence at Tokyo expanded India's footprint across Paralympic disciplines, which had traditionally been concentrated in athletics, shooting, badminton, table tennis, and powerlifting.