National Games 2023: Arunachal Pradesh Wushu players shine after Asian Games visa denial 

Arunachal Pradesh athletes on Thursday, November 2, starred in the Wushu competition of the ongoing 37th National Games held at the Campal Open Ground in Goa.

On Day 2 of the Wushu event, Nyemen Wangsu defended his National Games gold medal in Taolu at the Daoshu event. The 21-year-old also won in the same event last year in Gujarat.

Despite arriving in Goa with an injured knee, Mepung Lamgu clinched silver medal in the women's Taijiquan event. She suffered her knee injury in the national camp at Patiala. Meanwhile, Onilu Tega stunned Madhya Pradesh's Namita Batra, the top seed for the event, in the quarterfinals of the 52kg category (Sanda).

The Wushu trio from Arunachal Pradesh qualified for the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou. However, they were denied visas over China's issue with India over the claim that parts of Arunachal Pradesh are Chinese territory.

"We were heartbroken at first" - Nyemen Wangsu

Wushu is yet to be recognized as an Olympic sport and thus Asian Games remains the premium event for its athletes. The next edition of the Asian Games will take place in 2026 in Japan.

Nyemen Wangsu admitted they were shattered after missing out on Hangzhou but coach Premchandra Singh encouraged the youngsters to move forward.

“Ever since we started training in Wushu, our ambition has always been to compete at the Asian Games as it is the highest level of competition in the sport. So, we were heartbroken at first to not be able to compete despite qualifying because of something that was not in our hands," Wangsu was quoted as saying by The Bridge.

"Our coach understood our heartbreak because we worked so hard all together, but then he only took the initiative to help us move on. His guidance was that we are still very young with a bright future ahead of us.

"There is no point in looking back on the past as it will only hinder our practice. We have left the disappointments of the past behind and have eyes only on the future now."

Wangsu and her statemates will next participate in the Wushu World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, scheduled between November 16 and 20.