Sports Minister cancels trip after China bars 3 Indian athletes from Asian Games
Sports Minister cancels trip after China bars 3 Indian athletes from Asian Games
m.u.h
23/09/2023175
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday cancelled his scheduled visit to China as the government lodged a strong protest after three Indian wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh were denied entry into China for the 19th Asian Games that begin in Hangzhou on Saturday.
Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamgu were discriminated against by Chinese authorities who refused the sportspersons entry in a "targeted and pre-meditated manner", the Ministry of External Affairs said. The rest of the team, which includes seven other players and staff, flew to Hong Kong and then boarded a flight to Hangzhou.
"India firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity," a statement from the MEA read, on China denying accreditation to the sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh. Arunchal Pradesh is an "integral and inalienable part of India", the government asserted.
Slamming Beijing for the "deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportspersons", the government further said that "China's action violates the spirit of Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states".
"Government of India reserves the right to take suitable measures to safeguard our interests," the Ministry of External Affairs added.
The Indian players were brought back to the Sports Authority of India hostel at Delhi's Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium.
A top source in China with the Wushu team told India Today that they had taken up the matter with the organising committee of the Asian Games and also with the OCA (Olympic Council of Asia).
They said they were hopeful that the matter would soon be resolved.
CHINA's RESPONSE
Meanwhile, in response to reports about Indian players being denied entry to China, the country's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Friday said, "As the host country, China welcomes athletes from all countries to come to Hangzhou to participate in the Asian Games with legal documents."
"As to the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh', the Chinese government doesn't recognise it. Zangnan (southern part of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region) is part of China's territory," Ning said.
