Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar: Chandigarh taekwondo girl is all about focus, dedication & hard work

The Chandigarh girl, who has won a total of 275 medals in her career so far, was one of the 29 recipients of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar award and was among the eight sportspersons chosen for the national award which also carries a cash award of Rs 1 lakh.

“I feel proud as well happy that a taekwondo player was chosen for the award for the first time. To get the award on National Girl Child Day makes the feeling extra special. One thing which I have learned while pursuing mixed martial arts is the ability to defend oneself as well as how to help people in difficult situations. That is my message to all fellow children. Yes, we often get injured but practice has made me stronger. This award will motivate to achieve more for the country,” shared Gaur, who is a student of the British School, Chandigarh.

Tarushi’s father Vikrant Gaur is an engineer and her mother Meenakshi Gaur, is an educationist. Tarushi had joined taekwondo at the age of five at the Emerald Martial Arts Academy in Panchkula under coach Shiv Raj Gharti.

The only child of her parents, Tarushi was often accompanied by her mother for the training sessions initially. After she became the Chandigarh champion in her age category her interest grew in the sport. In 2017, Tarushi managed to make it to the Guinness Book of World records for completing all the techniques Poomsae of Taekwondo 58 times in 30 minutes.

“We have always encouraged Tarushi to do whatever she likes. As a single child, we have always motivated her to give her best. Initially, I would be worried about her getting injured. People used to tell us that her face can get injured. But her medals are the biggest reward for us,” recalls mother Meenakshi.

The last five years have seen Tarushi winning more than 275 medals at the state, national and international level — including 13 international medals and 48 national ones. In 2019, the girl won three medals in the Kukkiwon International Taekwondo Championship at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi — where she emerged as the champion in the Poomsae category and two gold medals in the Kyorugi event. The same year saw her becoming the national champion in the under 24-kilo category in the sub-junior category in the National Championships at Hyderabad.

“Winning the national title at Hyderabad was the biggest motivation in my career, apart from winning medals at the international level. After the pandemic, I was disappointed for some days. But we continued our online training, and it helped me concentrate more. We also attended some international competitions online including 115 speedkicks made in one minute. I had been preparing for the under-29 kg category for the upcoming nationals but it got postponed due to the Third wave of Covid,” added Tarushi, who also happens to be the youngest first degree and second-degree black belt holder in India and also plays sqay and Tangsoodo martial arts apart from wushu and roller skating.

Coach Gharti recalls Tarushi as an energetic young kid in his academy. “Her biggest strength has been the enthusiasm shown, be it the beginning or the end of a training session. As she aims to compete in higher weight categories post turning 14, increasing her speed will be the key. Her aim is to represent India in the Olympics and win a medal,” said Gharti.

Tarushi echoed Gharti’s thought. “I admire London Olympics bronze medallist boxer Mary Kom. The way she has undertaken different roles of being a player, mother, and a wife motivates us all. I also admire Tokyo Paralympics taekwondo player Aruna Tanwar. Hopefully, I can win a medal for India in the Olympics someday,” shared the youngster, who is also fond of bhangra.