Ukhrul, Jan 11: According to a press release from the Manipur Olympic Association(MOA), Thirty-nine Wushu players, including 20 female athletes, of Manipur have qualified for the upcoming 38th National Games which will be held in Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14 this year.
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Wushu coach M Bimojit Singh, an Arjuna Awardee expressed happiness over the selection and qualification of a good number of Wushu players for the upcoming national event.
Bimojit, who was honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi State Award in 2011, remarked, “We are doing our best to improve the performance of our athletes, and this time, we are expecting nothing less than 10 gold medals at the upcoming event.”
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According to the press release, Wushu, which made its debut in the National Games in Guwahati in 2007, has become one of Manipur’s key medal contributors in subsequent editions. To date, four Wushu athletes from Manipur have been honoured with the Arjuna Award.
In the 37th National Games in Goa in 2023, Manipur bagged 9 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals against 6 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals in the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022.
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As a result, the state team became the only one from eastern India to secure a spot among the top 10 states in the medal tally at the 36th National Games in Gujarat. Manipur competed in 21 sports disciplines at the event and earned medals in 13, including Wushu.
Currently, the state’s Wushu athletes are undergoing rigorous training sessions in various categories at multiple venues around Imphal, under the guidance of experienced coaches as stated by the release.
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Joint Secretary N Ibungochoubi of Manipur Olympic Association, who is also the chairman of the media committee also expressed his happiness over the qualification of Wushu players.
“It is good to hear that 39 state Wushu players have qualified for the Uttarakhand Games,” says Ibungochoubi. “We also hope that the state Wushu players who are qualified for the games, will bring titles for the state.”
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