Happy that martial arts is fast becoming popular in India: Rodali Barua
New Delhi, Jun 22 (UNI) Asian Taekwondo Championships 2024 bronze medallist Rodali Barua said on Sunday that the popularity of martial arts is growing fast in India and the talented sportspersons were benefitting from the improved facilities, thanks to the support extended by the governments, mainly in the north eastern states.
In an exclusive chat with UNI, Rodali appeared upbeat about the growth of martial arts. "Television viewership of martial arts has risen as tournaments like Olympics, Asian Games and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) are keenly followed. Right now my discipline Taekwondo is getting so much limelight, earlier most people were not even familiar with the name. Not merely as a sport, martial arts. especially Taekwondo, is very useful for the sake of self-defence, especially for girls" she said.
Rodali also believes that sports in the north eastern states of India is booming and the region will produce a lot of quality sports persons for the nation. "The north east region has a lot of sporting talent, earlier paucity of facilities hindered the growth of sports, but now the Assam government, and other states governments are supporting sports and a lot of talent is coming up."
The Tezpur native revealed that she initially took up the sport as a means to escape studies but later got very serious about it. "I was not very interested in academies, to avoid studies I opted for sports, my physique was conducive for combat sports, Taekwondo gave me an option to bunk my classes, as I started doing well in competitions and subsequently I was selected in SAI center of Guwahati, I haven't looked back since."
She advised aspiring taekwondoins to make hard work their talisman and never give up.
"Continue training diligently and never give up, hard work is the most important thing, as the saying goes hard work trumps talent," said Barua.
Regarding her future tournaments, Barua said she is currently preparing for the Open ranking tournaments which will serve as a preparation for Asian Games. After that she will start preparations for the World Championships. UNI RKM SSP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Kerala doctor wins gold at World Medical Games
KOCHI: When Dr Alwin, an associate professor of community medicine, started fitness training in sprinting, he had no idea his disciplined regimen would one day help him win not one but two gold medals for his country. Currently serving in Idukki Government Medical College (GMC), Alwin bagged the medals for India at the World Medical Games held in Spain recently. The resident of Alappad in Thrissur was the only Keralite to represent the country at the event. Dr Alwin discovered the thrill of sprinting as a schoolboy. 'My tryst with sports began in school. While studying MBBS, I represented my college, Ernakulam Government Medical College, and the university in athletics. However, like many others, the demands of medicine soon became a priority and sports took a back seat,' said Dr Alwin, adding that his family supported him and motivated him to follow the passion. Later, his students at the Ernakulam and Idukki GMCs, as well as officials of the Cochin chapter of Indian Medical Association, encouraged him to focus more on training. 'I trained under Asian Games gold medallist and Arjuna awardee Joseph Abraham. I won silver medals at the IMA national sports meets in Vijayawada and Aurangabad and a gold at the MAC Open National Masters Athletics Championships. These experiences helped me perform well at the World Medical Games,' he said. Besides Dr Alwin, a team from the Indian Army also won a medal at event in Spain. On World Medical Games, Dr Alwin said he had never participated in such an event before. 'At the event, healthcare professionals of various age groups from over 50 countries are bound together by a passion for sports rather than nationality. Winning gold for India in the 100m and 200m sprint events, especially when competing against the amazing French, Mexican, and Algerian finalists, was an emotional moment,' said Dr Alwin, adding that the highlight, however, were everlasting friendships forged at the event.
United News of India
6 hours ago
- United News of India
Brook's 99, Bumrah's five-fer even out Day 3
Leeds, June 22 (UNI) Harry Brook's enterprising 99 and key contributions from England's lower order wiped out India's hard-earned advantage on the third day of the first Test at Headingley, despite a five-wicket haul by Jasprit Bumrah. Resuming at 327/5, England rode on a brisk 91-ball 99 from Brook and solid partnerships down the order to post 465 in reply to India's 471. The last six English wickets added a crucial 240 runs – a stark contrast to India's 41 from their final six – to help the hosts narrow the deficit to just six runs. Bumrah finished with 5/83, his 14th Test five-fer, but England's depth meant the effort did not give India the control they would have hoped for. In response, India began their second innings in overcast and blustery conditions, and lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal early. However, K L Rahul (47* off 78) and debutant Sai Sudharsan (32) stitched together a stabilising 66-run stand to take India to 90/2 at stumps, with a 96-run lead. Earlier in the day, Brook continued from where he left off, punishing Indian bowlers for lapses in discipline and fielding. He added 55 with skipper Ben Stokes (35) and 56 with Jamie Smith (27) as England counterattacked effectively. India's fielding woes also resurfaced – Rishabh Pant dropped Brook, and Sudharsan couldn't hold a tough chance at short-leg to dismiss Smith. Post-lunch, Brook found another ally in Woakes (34), and together they added 49 runs at a rapid pace. Brook surged into the 90s with a six and a four off Siraj but fell agonisingly short of his century, top-edging a pull off Prasidh Krishna to the deep. Woakes and Brydon Carse added another 55 runs to frustrate India further before Bumrah cleaned up the tail with two successive bowled dismissals. India's second innings saw a nervy start under light drizzle, with Jaiswal falling early to Carse. Rahul looked composed, mixing defence with crisp drives, while Sudharsan showed resilience after a pair in the first innings. The duo negotiated probing spells from Woakes, Tongue and Stokes, before Sudharsan (32) fell late in the session to a flick that found short midwicket. Shubman Gill hit a boundary to get going and stayed unbeaten alongside Rahul when rain forced early stumps. India will look to extend their lead on Day 4, knowing that a strong batting effort is needed to put pressure back on England after the hosts' impressive fightback. Brief scores: India: 471 & 90/2 (KL Rahul 47*; Ben Stokes 1/18) England: 465 (Ollie Pope 106, Harry Brook 99, Ben Duckett 62; Jasprit Bumrah 5/83, Prasidh Krishna 3/128) India lead by 96 runs. UNI BDN SS
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
6 hours ago
- First Post
Why Olympic Day is celebrated on 23 June & when did it start?
Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June to honour the birth of the modern Olympics. Learn why it started and also explore India's Olympic history and medal tally to date. read more Olympic Day is celebrated on 23 June across the world to mark the revival of the games. Image: Reuters The Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June to mark the birth of the modern Olympic Games. It is a day to celebrate sports, fitness, and the spirit of peace and unity. It is also a day to remember the revival of the Olympics, which was interrupted by World War II in 1940 and 1944. When and why did Olympic Day start? Olympic Day was first celebrated on 23 June 1948, exactly 54 years after the modern Olympics were founded. It was started by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to promote the values of the games, like friendship, peace, and respect among countries and people. The reason why 23 June was chosen is that it was on this day in 1894 that the IOC was founded and the modern Olympic Games were started in Paris by Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator and historian. This moment laid the foundation of the Olympic Movement and the first modern Olympics were held in Athens in 1896. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After the restart of the Olympics in 1948, Olympic Day was announced and it has since become a huge thing. Many countries organise events like runs and fitness challenges on this day to spread the Olympic spirit and promote a healthy lifestyle. The Ministry of Sports in India conducted an Olympic Day Run on Sunday, 22 June under the IOC's global campaign 'Let's Move.' India's Olympic record India has had a long journey at the Olympics, but very few medals to show. Despite being one of the biggest countries in the world in terms of population, India have won just 37 medals to date, most of which came in hockey in the early and mid-20th century. India first participated in the Olympic Games in 1900, when Norman Pritchard won two silver medals in athletics. Since then, India has been a regular part of the Summer Olympics, but has only won two more medals in the discipline, both coming in the last two editions, thanks to once-in-a-generation talent Neeraj Chopra. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Total Olympic medals for India till 2024 Gold: 10 Silver: 10 Bronze: 17 India's first gold medal came in 1928 in men's field hockey at the Amsterdam Olympics. The men's hockey team won 8 gold medals between 1928 and 1980, making India a powerhouse in the sport. However, those days are now over, and India barely manages to qualify, with just two bronze medals coming in the last 44 years. However, India has performed well in other sports in recent years, especially badminton, boxing, wrestling, shooting, and athletics. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Neeraj Chopra made history by winning India's first-ever gold medal in athletics (javelin throw). India's best-ever Olympic performance came in Tokyo, where the country won 7 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze). The next Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles in 2028. India will look to better its record from 2020.
