Three wushu athletes from Arunachal Pradesh faced a setback as they were prevented from travelling to Hangzhou, China, for the Asian Games due to a lack of clearance from Chinese authorities.
Insiders relayed to Sports Tak that Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamgu, all hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, had received accreditation. However, when the squad set off for China on Wednesday, these players were barred from boarding the flight due to inadequate clearance.
Following this, the athletes were returned to the SAI hostel located in the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium. A senior insider with the Wushu team in China commented, "We have taken up the matter with the organising committee of the Asian Games and also with the OCA (Olympic Council of Asia). We are hopeful that soon the matter will be resolved."
Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, Chef de Mission India for the Asian Games, remarked, "I am in touch with the OCA to resolve the matter. There was some technical glitch in their accreditation, and that is why, they could not board the plane. But it seems, and as per my talks with the officials, it seems that by this evening, they will hopefully be able to fly to China."
The remaining members of the Wushu team, which includes 10 players and their coaches, encountered no such complications. They departed for Hong Kong on Wednesday evening and had a subsequent connecting flight to Hangzhou.
This marks the second occasion in two months where these three players faced challenges in travelling to China for a tournament.
Previously, in late July, the same athletes were unable to participate in the World University Games in Chengdu, China, due to being issued stapled visas. These visas symbolise China's non-recognition of India's sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh. India has consistently dismissed China's assertion that the northeastern state is a contested region. Consequently, the eight-member wushu team opted to pull out of the Chengdu event in a show of protest.