Following media speculation about her whereabouts, Wushu athlete Mepung Lamgu confirms she's safe at the SAI Hostel and communicates with her family. The controversy surrounds China's visa accreditation process for the Hangzhou Asian Games, which affected three Arunachal Pradesh athletes, sparking diplomatic tensions between India and China.
Reports recently surfaced that Wushu athlete Mepung Lamgu had gone off the radar, causing considerable concern for her family and supporters. This came in the wake of an accreditation controversy where Lamgu, alongside two other Arunachal Pradesh athletes, was denied conventional accreditation cards for the Hangzhou Asian Games hosted by China. Instead, the athletes were handed stapled visas.
Addressing the escalating concerns about her status, Lamgu took to social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, to update her followers. She stated, “I am alright and currently in SAI Hostel. I am in constant touch with my family and there’s nothing to worry about. Thanks for the concern and support.” Accompanying the post was a photograph showing Lamgu having breakfast with SAI officials.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) also weighed in on the matter via a tweet. They affirmed their support for the affected athletes, noting, “We stand with the three Asian Games-bound wushu athletes, taking the utmost care for them at this hour. The three athletes are being taken care of at the SAI Hostel.”
Lamgu wasn't the only athlete caught up in this predicament. Nyeman Wangsu and Onulu Tega were also impacted and, as a result, couldn't fly to China. They had originally been slated to participate in the Asian Games Opening Ceremony on Saturday, with their respective events fixed for Sunday.
The visa denial incident didn't just raise concerns within the sporting community; it also fanned diplomatic tensions. India's Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur, in a sign of protest, canceled his planned trip to China. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs voiced its disappointment over the situation, condemning the Chinese authorities for what they called targeted discrimination. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi added, “A strong protest has been lodged in New Delhi and Beijing against China’s deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportspersons. The Government of India reserves the right to take suitable measures to safeguard our interests,” he emphasized.
From the Chinese side, Wei Jizhong, the former secretary general of the Chinese Olympic Committee, who now holds the position of a lifetime Vice-President in the Olympic Council of Asia, defended his country's stance. At a media briefing, Jizhong clarified, “I should mention that these Indian athletes received a visa to enter China. China hasn’t declined any visa, but according to our government regulations, we have the prerogative to issue different visa types. We offer an arrival visa, paper visa, and visa in passport. This decision aligns with the host country’s government regulation.”
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