Although she came up empty in Athens, her qualifying for the games was a signal achievement in itself: Baidya was the first Nepali athlete to formally qualify for an Olympic meet. But after Athens, Baidya seemingly disappeared from the public eye and has since led a low-key existence.
These days, she spends her days teaching the art of taekwondo to a new generation of Nepali martial artists. myrepublica.com recently caught up with Baidya to reminisce about the good old days, when the golden girl did all Nepalese proud.
In Nepal, when people think taekwondo, they think you. You’ve achieved much in the field. What drew you to the art?Bruce Lee. You know how kung fu movies were all the rage when we were growing up? Like so many Nepali children, I was charmed by and awestruck by Bruce Lee. And like so many young kids, I wanted to do the things that he did. But unlike many who turn martial arts into a hobby, I realized very early on that the martial arts was my calling.
You were channeling Lee when you got into taekwondo.
Well, I actually started out by taking wu shu classes at Dasharath Stadium. My brother knew that I leant towards the martial arts, but my being a female and all, he thought that a non-contact sport like wu shu would be better for me. But I started drifting towards taekwondo--this was right after I’d taken my SLC--because I found that sport more exciting. I mean, I’ve never had a problem with the rough and tumble of it all. Indeed, when I was younger, I had no problems with roughing out with the boys.
Didn’t your parents try to stop you from pursuing taekwondo? As in, weren’t they worried that you might get hurt?
I didn’t give them the time to second-guess my decision. The very year [1992] that I switched to taekwondo, I won a gold medal at the Assam International Taekwondo Championship. That probably was enough for them to know that I could take care of myself. They’ve actually been more than supportive of me.
We’ve learned that you now teach taekwondo to others. How’s that working out?
I coach the Nepal army team, and I also teach students at Gyanodaya and Gems. I love coaching. It makes me feel like I’m giving back to society. And since I think I know a thing or two about what taekwondo athletes go through, I feel I can connect with my students on so many levels. There’s something about seeing youngsters become more confident about the art that makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing.
Will you be making your way back to the competitive arena?
You never know. I love the sport and I think I’ve still got it in me. But we’ll see…
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