Wushu athlete Mepung Lamgu has gone incommunicado after being denied a visa to participate in the Asian Games in China. The family members of Mepung Lamgu in Arunachal Pradesh are deeply concerned and hope that she does not resort to drastic measures.Mepung Lamgu, a 20-year-old wushu player, is among three athletes from Arunachal Pradesh who were refused visas for the Hangzhou Asian Games in China. When the news broke last Thursday, her brother, Dr. Gandhi Lamgu in Itanagar, described her as inconsolably crying during their last conversation. Since then, he has been unable to reach her.Brothers concernSpeaking to PTI, Dr. Gandhi shared his worries, saying, “Now shes not even taking our calls, and its coming switched off. So we are also very worried about her, hoping she doesnt take any extreme steps as she is crying inconsolably”.He has choosen not to inform their parents about this situation to spare them additional stress in Seppa, a remote area located around 200 kilometers from the state capital. Gandhi is also facing career challenges and financial constraints, preventing him from taking leave to address the situation. He expressed concern for his fathers emotional well-being and the poor phone network coverage in their hometown.Gandhi had played a crucial role in supporting Mepungs dream to play Wushu.Mepung, who competes in wushu taolu-taijijian and taijiquan events, along with two other female wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh, Nyeman Wangsu and Onilu Tega, were denied accreditation, which serves as their visa for the Asian Games, set to begin officially on Saturday. They were scheduled to depart from India on Friday night with eight other members of the Wushu contingent but were unable to do so due to a lack of clearance for their accreditation.Former sports minister Kiren Rijiju shared on microblogging platform X, “Im in touch with the athletes including Mepung Lamgu. They are extremely upset but know that all of India is proud of them and will take care of their future”.Im in touch with the athletes including Mepung Lamgu. They are extremely upset but know that all of India is proud of them and will take care of their future.https://t.co/V1c08hJp8C— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 22, 2023Mepung Lamgus journeyMepungs journey in wushu began with a bronze medal in the International Wushu Championship in Georgia in 2016 as a junior. She subsequently achieved two gold medals in the Moscow Wushu Star 2022 and earned a bronze in the same event in Moscow this year. She also demonstrated her talent at the Gujarat National Games, returning home with a gold medal before the current visa ordeal unfolded.
