Arunachal Pradesh athletes Nyeman Wangsu and Rupa Bayor have been selected to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 4.
The two athletes are among 492 sportspersons approved by the Sports Ministry for the Asian Games. Wangsu will compete in women’s Changquan in Wushu, while Bayor will represent India in individual Poomsae in Taekwondo.
For Wangsu, the selection marks another important opportunity to compete at one of Asia’s biggest sporting events. She had earlier qualified for the 2023 Asian Games in China along with fellow Arunachal Pradesh athletes Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu. However, they were unable to participate after being denied visas by the host country.
Wangsu began her Wushu training in 2013 under coach Maibam Premchandra Singh and has since built an impressive record at both the national and international levels.
A three-time National Games gold medallist, she won gold medals in three consecutive editions of the National Games held in Gujarat in 2022, Goa in 2023 and Uttarakhand in 2025. She has also won at least 17 gold medals at senior national championships since 2019.
Her other achievements include gold medals at the Khelo India Women’s League in Chandigarh in 2023 and 2025, as well as three gold medals at the University Games in 2023.
At the international level, Wangsu won one gold and one silver medal at the Moscow Wushu Stars in 2022. She added two bronze medals in 2023 and three silver medals in 2025. She also secured sixth place at the 10th Asian Wushu Championships in Macau in 2024, seventh place at the 17th World Wushu Championships in Brazil in 2025 and 10th place at the 16th edition of the World Wushu Championships held in the United States in 2023. She also qualified for the World University Games in 2023.
Bayor, meanwhile, has emerged as one of India’s leading Taekwondo Poomsae athletes. In 2026, she was named the Best Taekwondo Poomsae Player of the Year at the India Taekwondo Gala Awards.
She made history by becoming the first Indian Taekwondo athlete to achieve World Rank 6 and Asia Rank 1. She is currently ranked seventh in the world in the women’s below-30 recognised Poomsae category.
Hailing from Sippi village, Bayor recently won a bronze medal at the Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. With the achievement, she became the first Indian athlete to win medals in two consecutive editions of the Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.
Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein congratulated both athletes on their selection and wished them success at the Asian Games.
“Hearty congratulations to Miss Rupa Bayor on her selection to represent Team India in Taekwondo at the 20th Asian Games. Wishing you strength, success and glory,” Mein said in a post on X.
Congratulating Wangsu, he wrote, “Heartiest congratulations to Miss Nyeman Wangsu on earning her well-deserved place in Team India for Wushu at the 20th Asian Games, 2026 in Japan.”
“Wishing you the very best as you take on this prestigious international stage,” he added.
The All Arunachal Pradesh Wushu Association also congratulated Wangsu, describing her selection as an important moment for Wushu in the state.
Association general secretary John Tara Bakey said her achievement was more than an individual sporting success and reflected the growing strength, talent and potential of athletes from Arunachal Pradesh.
“Her journey from Kanubari in Longding district to the international sporting arena stands as an inspiration to aspiring athletes across Arunachal Pradesh, particularly young sportspersons from rural and remote areas,” Bakey said.
Referring to her missed opportunity at the 2023 Asian Games, he said the setback had not affected her determination.
“Her first major breakthrough came when she qualified to represent India at the 2023 Asian Games in China. But unfortunately, she could not compete because of the stapled-visa issue. These setbacks, however, did not diminish her determination. Instead, they strengthened her resolve to continue her journey towards representing India at the highest level of Asian sport,” he added.
With Wangsu and Bayor now selected for the 2026 Asian Games, Arunachal Pradesh will have two of its accomplished athletes representing India on the international stage in Japan.
