Para Taekwondo in India — Academies, Schemes & Athletes

Reviewed profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and FAQs on this page are compiled by hand from federation, government and press reporting, drawing on Olympics.com — Paris 2024 Paralympics India schedule, Paralympic Committee of India, World Para Taekwondo, ESPN — India at the Paris Paralympics. These are not cited to individual documents: we hold no per-claim source for them, so treat dates, counts and career records here as a summary rather than a reference. Sections we hold nothing for are left empty. Sport pages last reviewed as a set: September 2026.

Overview

Origin: Paralympic debut, Tokyo 2020
Category: Para
Olympic discipline: No
Paralympic discipline: Yes
Central pathway: TOPS eligible
Athlete profiles on SportSupport: 1

Governance and status

Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Indian governing/organising body: Paralympic Committee of India
Ministry recognition: Paralympic Committee of India — Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — as at 2026Source: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — List of recognised National Sports Federations
International federation: Not currently verified
Khelo India inclusion: Not currently verified
TOPS eligibility: In scope — TOPS covers Paralympic medal prospects
Olympic status: Not on the Olympic programme
Paralympic status: On the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme (Para Taekwondo)Source: International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024 Paralympic Games — sports (2024)

Para Taekwondo is listed on SportSupport in the para category. Its recorded origin is Paralympic debut, Tokyo 2020. Para disciplines are contested at the Paralympic Games, not the Olympic Games. Para Taekwondo was on the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme. (Source: International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024 Paralympic Games — sports: https://www.paralympic.org/paris-2024/sports) We list Paralympic Committee of India as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.

Para Taekwondo is on the pathway that runs through India's national sports federations to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), with selection running through Paralympic Committee of India against its published benchmarks. Being on this pathway is not itself a statement that the discipline is currently in TOPS — TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group chosen by the Mission Olympic Cell.

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for para taekwondo athletes in India.

Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for selected Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and an out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for athletes inducted by the Mission Olympic Cell. TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines rather than every Olympic sport, and induction is decided athlete by athlete; we hold no current list confirming whether para taekwondo is among the covered disciplines.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to para taekwondo.
Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension (₹20,000 for Olympic/World/Asian/CWG medallists; scaled by tier) for retired internationals who meet the scheme's medal criteria — Government of India.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

1 profiles

Aruna TanwarHaryana
Aruna Tanwar is an Indian Para Taekwondo athlete and two time Olympian from Haryana. 4 in the W-49 kg | K43 | and World No. 30 in the W-49 kg | K44 event category of World Para Taekwondo Events.

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

Only kyorugi, the full-contact sparring format, is contested at the Paralympics — there is no poomsae event. Competition is for athletes with arm impairment in the K44 class, with contests fought over three rounds on an octagonal mat. Points are scored for kicks to the trunk protector, with additional points for turning kicks, and head kicks are not permitted. Electronic body protectors and scoring are used as in able-bodied taekwondo.

Authoritative rulebook: Paralympic Committee of India. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Typical roles across para sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced para taekwondo squad list.

Competitor
Athlete who takes part in the para taekwondo event under Paralympic Committee of India rules.
Coach
Federation-certified coach responsible for training and match-day decisions.
Match official
Referee, umpire or judge who officiates the event.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in para taekwondo at a federation-recognised event.

Electronic trunk protector and scoring sensors
Dobok (uniform)
Forearm, shin and groin guards
Mouthguard
Sensor socks or foot protectors

Governing/organising body

Body listed on SportSupport

Paralympic Committee of India

Paralympic Committee of India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Para Taekwondo. Its recognition status as we hold it: Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (as at 2026). Recognition is granted year by year, so read the federation profile for the source.

Origin: Paralympic debut, Tokyo 2020
Olympic: No
Paralympic: Yes
Category: Para

PCI profile →All federations →

Major Indian Events

Domestic competitions we hold a source for in para taekwondo.

National Para Taekwondo Championships
Held under the Paralympic Committee of India in the K44 class, feeding World Para Taekwondo international selection.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in para taekwondo.

Paralympic Games
Para taekwondo made its Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020, entering the programme alongside para badminton. India competed at Paris 2024 but has not yet won a Paralympic medal in the sport.
World Para Taekwondo Championships and Asian Para Games
The ranking and qualification pathway for Indian para taekwondo athletes.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for para taekwondo. The national championship under Paralympic Committee of India remains the top domestic competition.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised para taekwondo athletes to know outside India.

The international federation for para taekwondo maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in para taekwondo — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Para taekwondo is among the newest Paralympic sports and India's involvement is recent, so the domestic competitive base is small and national selection is comparatively open
The sport draws heavily on India's existing taekwondo club network, though the governance split within Indian taekwondo means prospective athletes should confirm which body's competitions connect to the World Para Taekwondo pathway
Only athletes with arm impairment are eligible, which is a narrower entry criterion than most para combat sports
Pathway runs through PCI structures into World Para Taekwondo events, with TOPS support for the elite squad

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

0 listed

No para taekwondo academies are catalogued in the directory yet. Browse the full academy list or list your academy to appear here.

All academies →List your academy →

FAQs

Common questions about para taekwondo in India.

Who governs Para Taekwondo in India?▾

We list Paralympic Committee of India as the Indian governing/organising body for Para Taekwondo, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.

Is Para Taekwondo an Olympic sport?▾

No. Para Taekwondo is a para discipline, and para disciplines are contested at the Paralympic Games, not the Olympic Games. Athletes selected by Paralympic Committee of India against its published criteria can be considered for TOPS funding, which covers Paralympic medal prospects.

How do I start playing Para Taekwondo in India?▾

The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under Paralympic Committee of India. Age-group state championships follow from there.

What government schemes support Para Taekwondo athletes?▾

TOPS supports a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines selected by the Mission Olympic Cell, rather than every Olympic sport. We hold no current list confirming whether Para Taekwondo is among them, so we make no TOPS claim for it. State governments give cash awards to medallists at events they notify. Para Taekwondo does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, so we make no Khelo India claim for it.

Para Taekwondo in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Para Taekwondo in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.