Asiad medal winners accorded warm welcome
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 11 2023:
Hangzhou Asian Games-2023 gold medallist L Nilakanta Sharma has said that he was unable to express joy despite winning the gold medal in the just concluded Asian Games due to the ongoing unrest in Manipur.
L Nilakanta, who was a member of the Indian hockey team which bagged gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games-2023, along with bronze medal winning Indian women hockey team members P Sushila Chanu and Kh Bichu Devi were given a warm welcome by families, relatives and well-wishers on their arrival Wednesday at Imphal Airport.
Nilakanta told media persons at Imphal Airport that the semi-final match against South Korea was the toughest India faced in the Hangzhou Asian Games-2023 and the team even feared of losing the match.
However, India eventually won the match and entered the final as the opponent team was unlike European teams who are always tough to play against and face pressure.
"I feel proud of winning the gold medal by representing India in the Asian Games ad-mist the violence in Manipur but that feeling of happiness could not match with winning the Olympic medal," Nilakanta said, adding that he felt uneasiness and restless while playing in the Asian Games due to continuing violence in Manipur.
Sushila Chanu and Bichu Devi also told media persons that they felt sorry for their inability to help people affected by the violence while staying in the preparatory camp for Asian Games in Bangalore.
Nevertheless, they did not lose hope of winning medal to bring laurel for the state and fought courageously, they said, adding that their dream of winning the gold medal did not materialise and had to content with the bronze medal.
On the other hand, Thangmeiband Youth Centre accorded warm reception to P Sushila Chanu ip her locality.