It was a real heartbreak for promising karate player from Arunachal Pradesh, Johny Mangkhya as her Asian Games dream has been shattered after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) dropped the women karate team from the Indonesia-bound national team.
The IOA on Tuesday released the final list of the Indian contingent for the forthcoming Asian Games, where the women karate team has been left out, according to an Arunachal Times report.
The IOA, however, did not cite the reason for dropping the six women karate players, including Mangkhya from Arunachal Pradesh.
Interestingly, two karate players from the so-called ‘mainland’ have been found in the IOA list.
Meanwhile in Arunachal Pradesh, sports administrators, mentors and the general people have expressed shock and disbelief over Mangkhya’s exclusion from the national team.
It is learnt that Sports Authority of Arunachal Chairman Bamang Tago had written to the president and the secretary general of the IOA to let him know the reason(s) for exclusion of Mangkhya from the Indian contingent.
The report quoted Tago as saying that he has also conveyed to the State Chief Minister Pema Khandu and the Sports Minister to take up the matter with the Union Sports & Youth Affairs Ministry.
Even Arunachal Olympic Association secretary general Abraham K Techi is contemplating on taking up the issue with the IOA, according to the report.