Arunachal: EKSWCO Urges Rijiju to Intervene in Weightlifter Sambo Lapung’s Exclusion from Commonwealth Squad
“This is not just about one athlete. It’s about a pattern of marginalization faced by sports talent from the Northeast,”..............
ITANAGAR- The East Kameng Social Welfare and Cultural Organization (EKSWCO) has written to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, seeking immediate intervention in the exclusion of Sambo Lapung—a three-time national weightlifting champion—from India’s Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships team.
In a detailed representation sent on Friday, EKSWCO highlighted the injustice in the selection process by the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF), which chose Harshit Sehrawat over Lapung despite Lapung’s superior performance at multiple national championships.
Lapung, hailing from Lapung village in East Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh, lifted a total of 338kg to clinch gold at the 2023 Senior Nationals in Itanagar—10kg more than Sehrawat’s best. EKSWCO called the IWF’s decision “unfair and lacking transparency,” alleging it reflects ongoing bias against Northeastern athletes.
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“This is not just about one athlete. It’s about a pattern of marginalization faced by sports talent from the Northeast,” said Raya Flago, EKSWCO Chairperson. “We request Minister Rijiju to uphold fairness and ensure Lapung is given his rightful place in the team.”
EKSWCO also demanded a review of IWF’s selection norms, a probe into Lapung’s exclusion, and long-term reforms to protect athletes from regional discrimination.
The representation concludes with an appeal to Rijiju to safeguard the trust of Northeastern youth and reinforce merit-based inclusion in Indian sports.
