Sports News | World University Games Would Have Been Test Event for Players Selected for Asian Games: Wushu Official
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. After the Indian wushu team pulled out of the World University Games in China on the issue of giving 'stapled visa' to three players from Arunachal Pradesh, an official of the national federation on Friday said that the global multi-sport competition would have been a test event for the athletes selected for the upcoming Asian Games.
New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) After the Indian wushu team pulled out of the World University Games in China on the issue of giving 'stapled visa' to three players from Arunachal Pradesh, an official of the national federation on Friday said that the global multi-sport competition would have been a test event for the athletes selected for the upcoming Asian Games.
An official of the Wushu Association of India (WAI), who did not want to be named, said his organisation had wanted to test the performance of some of the players during the World University Games (WUG) in view of the Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
"We were hoping that the World University Games would be a kind of test event for the players selected for the Asian Games. But it is not happening," the official told PTI.
Eight players and four officials were to leave for Chengdu on Wednesday night for the World University Games which began on Friday but they were told to stay put by the government after three female players from Arunachal Pradesh were issued 'stapled visas' by the Chinese embassy here.
On Thursday, India had described as "unacceptable" China issuing stapled visas to a few sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh and asserted that it reserves the right to "suitably respond" to such actions.
Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu are the players from Arunachal Pradesh.
Four players out of the eight are also part of the Indian wushu team selected for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Team coach Raghvendra Singh said the remaining five players could have gone for the WUG. Wushu competition begins on Saturday and will continue till August 3.
"Out of eight players, three can't go but rest five athletes can go. Our players also understand that these (stapled) visas won't be accepted here. So they also wanted that at least the five other athletes who have worked hard can go and try to win medals," Singh told TV channels.
Raghvendra, however, told PTI that he is nobody to say anything once the government has taken a decision.
"I can't say anything now, who am I to say what's to be done after the government's decision," he said.
The five other players are Bhanu Singh, Ravi, Sharwan Kumar, Sanma Brahma and Naorem Roshibina Devi.
The WAI official said that the country could have won multiple medals from the sport in the WUG.
Roshibina Devi had won a bronze in women's sanda 60kg event in the 2018 Asian Games.
"Roshibina is a sure-shot medallist in the WUG and she is even a medal contender in the Hangzhou Asian Games. She had won a bronze in 2018 in Jakarta (Asian Games)," the official said.
All the three players from Arunachal Pradesh as well as Roshibina are in the 14-member team selected by Wushu Association of India for the upcoming Asian Games, though the final clearance from the sports ministry is yet to come.
Baljit Singh Sekhon, the joint secretary of Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which is the governing body for university sports in the country, told PTI from Chengdu that he is not pursuing the matter of 'stapled visa' with the Chinese organisers as the Indian government has taken the decision not to send the wushu team.
"It is very clear for us, we follow whatever the government decides. It is unfortunate that the wushu team could not participate, but we are helpless. So, wushu team is not taking part in the WUG," said Sekhon.
The AIU had intimated the Chinese Embassy about the visa application. The wushu players visited the visa application centre on July 17.
While all the other nine in the wushu contingent got their visas on July 20, the three players from Arunachal were told on July 24 to re-apply. After that, they got 'stapled visa' on Wednesday.
In the past also, sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh had to miss international events in China due to the 'stapled visa' issue.
In 2011, an official of the Indian Weightlifting Federation hailing from Arunachal Pradesh and a weightlifter from the same state were to travel to China to take part in a grand prix event in China but they missed out after they were issued 'stapled visa'.
The same year, five karate players from Arunachal Pradesh who were to travel to China for a championship met with the same fate, as also two young archers who were to take part in the Youth World Archery Championship.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)