Arunachal Pradesh: Hero’s welcome for Wushu athletes Mepung, Nyeman and Onilu in Itanagar

It was a hero’s welcome for the three Wushu players- Mepung Lamgu, Nyeman Wangsu and Onilu Tega, hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, who were denied entry into China to take part in the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in China after they arrived in Itanagar from New Delhi this morning.

Packed with agility, splendid techniques and energy, the trio were all set to represent India at the Asian Games but their dreams were shattered when China denied entry to the three players.

The three promising athletes are back home after staying away from their loved ones for months together as they were training for the Games with an eye on medals.

Their hopes dashed, but the spirit to achieve something for the nation is still high among the trio.

Soon after their arrival, Northeast Live spoke to Mepung, Nyeman and Onilu to capture their mood.

Sharing her thoughts Mepung Lamgu said, “I am very upset because it took years of preparations to qualify for the Asian Games. Each one of us hoped that we will go and play. We were about to go but unfortunately that did not happen since we did not get the accreditation cards. It is nothing like that we were ignored, but we were in talks with the Wushu Federation, Olympic Association, they did a lot and even went to the Embassy (Chinese) to resolve the issue. But nothing happened. The National Games, World Championships are on the cards, we will refocus and try to win medals.”

Onilu Tega said, “We never thought that such a situation will come because we made our minds to play the Asian Games. We were preparing for 6-7 years. If such things happen, it creates depression, since we practice only with the sole agenda of getting a medal for the country. We have to invest our time, energy and efforts for giving the best performance. No matter how much China claims India to be their part, but we are Indians by heart and birth.”

Nyeman Wangsu stated, “We are very sad that we could not participate and had to return. It is sad because we started playing Wushu since 2014. My luggage was about to be checked in but then it was informed that we cannot go. We did not even visit our home to pursue our dreams. But we are happy since we received lot of support from everyone. We will not stop. The National Games are coming, there is the World Championship, we will make all out efforts.”

The three players after receiving their accreditation cards from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC), which also acts as an entry visa, were required to download their travel document, which is validated upon arrival.

However, the three players could not download their travel document on Wednesday when they were scheduled to travel for the Asian Games, while other Wushu team members, comprising a total of 10 players, along with the coaching staff, faced no such issues and left for Hangzhou.

Condemning the incident of China denying entry to 3 Arunachal Wushu players into the country in the strongest terms, the Arunachal Pradesh Wushu Association (APWA) had sought medal winner status for the disheartened players.

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