ITANAGAR, 1 Jul: The Arunachal Law Students’ Union (ALSU) has taken strong exception to the alleged negligence shown to meritorious sportspersons who have brought laurels to the state.
“Despite historic achievements at national and international levels, our athletes continue to remain unacknowledged, unsupported, and institutionally deprived,” the union said in a representation to the chief minister.
It stated that in the recently held 34th Senior National Wushu Championship-2025 in Jaipur and the prestigious Moscow Star International Wushu Championship (Russia), young athletes from Arunachal Pradesh brought laurels to the state, securing multiple medals. Among them, Nyeman Wangsu, Mercy Ngaimong, Gyamar Yatup, and Mepung Lamgu stood out for their exemplary perf-ormances.
“These daughters of Arunachal have brought glory to the nation and the state alike. Yet, it is disheartening that no minister, MLA, or government dignitary has come forward to congratulate, felicitate, or even receive them upon their return,” the union lamented.
It said that such silence from the state leadership is profoundly disappointing and constitutes a failure to honour merit.
“After an extensive on-ground inspection of schools and sports departments, we found that there exists no government-recognized Wushu training institution or club anywhere in the state, except for Sangay Lhaden School Academy, Chimpu and the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE),” the ALSU said.
“Despite wushu being Arunachal’s highest medal-winning discipline, the absence of basic institutional support is unacceptable,” the ALSU said, and urged the government to immediately establish recognized wushu clubs and mini-indoor stadiums in all districts.
The union further drew the chief minister’s attention to the unfortunate case of three female athletes who were selected for the 2023 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, but were ultimately unable to participate due to visa and administrative issues.
It said that the absence of a dedicated government cell to facilitate international representation is costing the state valuable opportunities.
It demanded that such lapses be rectified through the creation of a sports affairs coordination cell.
Moreover, most national and international athletes are currently forced to live in rented accommodations under severe hardship, even while bringing honour to the state, it said.
“Yet, no adequate support system is in place for their welfare. The government must address this with urgency by ensuring institutional housing and athlete support programmes,” the representation said.
The ALSU demanded that Sangay Lhaden School Academy be upgraded beyond Class 10 to include senior secondary and college-level education, so that sports students who often travel great distances can continue both academics and training at one place.
The union also demanded, among other things, immediate recognition and felicitation of all medal-winning athletes, including with cash awards and citations; establishment of government-recognized wushu clubs and district level mini-indoor stadiums across the state; creation of a sports affairs coordination cell to streamline travel, visa, and international participation processes; appointment of district sports officers in districts where such posts remain vacant; discipline-wise and transparent allocation of sports quota jobs; mandatory recruitment of 95% sports department staff from sports backgrounds, prioritizing f-ormer athletes; reservation of Group C & D posts under the sports quota for sportspersons suffering from sports-related injuries; rigorous monitoring and auditing of sports funds to ensure proper, merit-based utilization; and establishment of long-term welfare policies for the rehabilitation, education, and development of state-level athletes.
“The Arunachal Law Students’ Union firmly believes that only sportspersons have placed Arunachal Pradesh on the global map through their blood, sweat, and dedication. Their continued neglect reflects not just an administrative oversight but a moral failing. If Arunachal is to rise as a sporting powerhouse, we must honour our athletes not with words but with meaningful action,” the representation added.
