Due to a coronavirus-related travel ban, Indian athletes could not attend the Asian qualification tournament in Jordan in May.

That left Aruna's Tokyo 2020 dream in real jeopardy, before she was confirmed as a bipartite wildcard in the women's under-49-kilogram class.

Aruna will be India's sole taekwondo representative at 2020, with the nation not qualifying any athletes for the Olympics.

"It was so upsetting to lose out on a chance in Jordan," K43 world bronze medallist Aruna told the Hindustan Times.

"It is like a dream come true now with World Taekwondo giving me the go ahead for the Paralympics."

K43 and K44 fighters will compete together at the Games.

Aruna is a five-time national champion and has finished on the podium at the Asian Championships too.

Her coach and general secretary of the Para Taekwondo Association of India, Sukhdev Raj, expressed his delight for Aruna being added to India's Paralympic team.

"It was heart-breaking to see such athletes' dreams getting shattered due to the pandemic," Raj said, per the Hindustan Times.

"So, we requested to World Taekwondo and were elated to see Aruna getting a wildcard entry."

A total of 72 athletes from more than 30 nations - plus the Refugee Paralympic Team and RPC - are set to compete during taekwondo's Paralympic debut.

The taekwondo competition begins on September 2.