Wushu that won laurels for India still awaits nod for Asiad

Patiala, Nov 15 (UNI) In a realistic and candid analysis of India's chances of winning medals in the ensuing Asian Games in Doha, it is going to be an extremely tough outing for the country's athletes as the national coaches in different sports disciplines did not show any optimism.

Keeping this murky scenario of tough and fierce competition in mind, it is strange that the Wushu camp, currently in progress at the NIS here, is getting ''step-motherly treatment'' despite the fact that the Wushu players had recently won laurels outside.

The Indian Wushu team's recent performance in international competitions, including the World Wushu Championship in Xian, China in September last, where India won two bronze medals through Gajendra Singh (90 kg) and Kiran Chitra Bala (65 kg).

The riddle at present has been that the Union Sports Ministry is yet to grant approval to the ongoing Wushu camp at the NIS. The entire onus has been on the Wushu Association of India to run the national camp. The campers are lodged in Yadavindra Hostel at the NIS which is strictly for the NIS trainees and not suitable for the campers. For board, the Wushu Association of India is meeting the expenses with no government financial support.

This apathy on the part of the Union Sports Ministry could not be appreciated, the analysts and onlookers at the camp felt. ''The Union Sports Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, must look into it immediately in order to overcome this ugly situation,'' said one of the managers at the camp.

Wushu Association of India Dr Yogendra Narain told UNI on phone from Delhi that the attitude of the sports ministry towards Wushu Association of India has not been positive at all.

Though Wushu started in India in 1989, it goes to the credit of Wushu Association of India that just in a few years, our Wushu players have started winning medals in mega international competitions.

The union sports ministry must wake up to uplift Wushu in the country before the damage gets unrepairable, he said.

UNI XC PS PM DB1310