Manipuri Wushu players, coach dropped from Indian squad for Asian Games

Two Manipuri Wushu players and a coach suffered a serious blow after the players were excluded from the Indian squad for the 19th Asian Games starting September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China. The players were excluded from the list for lack of accomplishments in International tournaments, reports said.

Despite being selected for the trials, Wushu players Hanjabam Karnajit Sharma and Leimapokpam Sanatombi Chanu, both reigning national champions undergoing training at Patiala, failed to find their names in the India squad, shattering their dreams to compete at the Asian games.

Coach Mayanglambam Sachidananda, who is one of the most senior and experienced coaches and has coached players for several national and international champions, was also excluded from the Indian squad.

The players were dropped on the grounds of lack of accomplishments in International tournaments, as the officials in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, who are responsible for the selection, have apparently made the Moscow Wushu Star Championship 2023 as the benchmark for selection without any formal notification to that effect.

Mayanglambam Amitkumar, a Wushu coach and a former international player from Manipur, has appealed to the Ministry to reconsider its decision, as he feels the country should prioritize its athletes’ results during the trials in order to win medals at the Asian Games.

Meanwhile, the Wushu Association of India, as well as the Sports Minister of Manipur, have written to the Sports Ministry to reconsider its decision and consider including the two Manipuri players and the coach in the Indian squad.

“The adage that Manipur is a powerhouse of sports in the country suffers a serious blow as two reigning national champions and India’s seasoned coach, who has produced a number of international and national champions, are left out of the Indian squad,” a sports official in Manipur said.

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