Asian Games: Arunachal Wushu player missing amid visa denial drama

Mepung Lamgu, a promising 20-year-old wushu athlete from Arunachal Pradesh, reportedly went missing after being denied a visa to participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games in China, PTI reported on Sunday.

Lamgu later denied the news. She returned home on Tuesday along with Nyeman Wangsu and Onilu Tega - the two other members of the Indian team - from New Delhi.

Lamgu is one of three wushu players from the region who were denied visas for the prestigious event.

With the news spreading fast, her brother, Dr. Gandhi Lamgu, expressed his concerns about his sister's well-being. He stated, "Now she's not even taking our calls, and it's coming switched off. So we are also very worried about her, kahin kuch kar na de ro ro ke (hope she doesn't take any extreme steps as she is crying inconsolably)."

Gandhi Lamgu has refrained from sharing this development with their parents, given the remote location of their home in Seppa and his own financial struggles. "I'm also in a difficult phase of my career, I can't even take leave, and I am also not financially sound. So dad would be worried, and I have not told them."

It was Gandhi who supported Mepung in pursuing her wushu dream. She competes in wushu taolu-taijijian and taijiquan events. However, along with two other female wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh, Nyeman Wangsu and Onilu Tega, she was denied accreditation, which also serves as a visa for the Asian Games.

The trio was scheduled to depart for China with the rest of the wushu contingent but were forced to remain in India due to the lack of proper clearance.

This incident is not the first time that athletes from Arunachal Pradesh have faced visa-related issues for events in China, with India previously withdrawing from the World University Games in Chengdu.

Mepung's achievements in Wushu have been remarkable, including winning gold medals in Moscow Wushu Star 2022 and a bronze at this year's Moscow meet.

Earlier today, the Indian Wushu team flew without three athletes after the visa fiasco. The Indian foreign ministry has condemned the action by China and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Asian Games.

(With PTI Inputs).