India’s quest for a medal in taekwondo at the ended in disappointment. The three-member women’s team, consisting of Kashish Malik, Jyoti Yadav, and Rupa Beyor, returned from the competition in Aichi-Nagoya without any podium finishes.
The event concluded on Saturday at the Toyohashi Gymnasium in Japan.
Kashish Malik was the standout performer for India, reaching the quarter-finals of the mixed individual virtual taekwondo event, which made its debut at these Games. She began her campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Hong Kong’s Siu Wai Lam, winning both rounds decisively with scores of 800-500 and 400-0. However, her journey ended in the quarter-finals against Kazakhstan’s Rita Bakisheva, who ultimately secured a bronze medal.
In that match, Kashish took an early lead, winning the first round 320-0. However, Bakisheva rallied to win the next two rounds, finishing with a score of 2-1.
Kashish also competed in the women’s -57 kg category, where she faced a tough draw against one of the strongest contenders: Kim Yu-jin from , the reigning Olympic champion. Kashish lost that match 2-0, with scores of 18-3 and 17-2.
Jyoti Yadav’s campaign concluded in the round of 16, where she was defeated 2-0 by Thailand’s Kannalak Chuenchuklin, who won with scores of 15-4 and 14-2.
Rupa Beyor competed in the women’s individual event but finished fifth in her semi-final group with a score of 7.6100, falling short of the top four needed to advance to the medal round. Vietnam’s Ngoc Tuyet Sang Chau secured the final qualifying spot with a score of 7.9500.
Taekwondo has been a part of every since Seoul 1986, except for the 1990 edition in Beijing. However, India has managed to win only one medal in this discipline: a bronze by Surendra Bhandari in Busan in 2002, which remains the country’s only podium finish in taekwondo at the Asian Games.
Indian taekwondo enthusiasts will have to wait at least four more years for another chance at a medal at the Asian Games.