India registered a strong protest against China for barring 3 Arunachal Pradesh athletes from competing in the upcoming Asian Games 2023 that are scheduled to take place in Hangzhou in China. India’s three leading female wushu players, Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu, who are from Arunachal Pradesh, were forced to pull out from the competition after not receiving clearance from the host country because China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is its own territory.
The three players were scheduled to fly to China as part of an 11-member wushu contingent – 7 male and 4 female athletes – on a Cathay Pacific flight on Wednesday night from IGI airport in New Delhi. However, they had to stay back as they didn’t get the necessary clearance to enter China from the Chinese authorities. They have been accommodated at Sports Authority of India’s JLN hostel till the issue of their participation is resolved.
An official of the Wushu Association of India (WAI) said, “Their clearances have not arrived to enter China. We, at the federation, were unable to download their accreditation cards for the Asian Games while the remaining members of the team could download theirs without any issues. The accreditation card acts as your visa. So, we decided to leave without them, hoping they could join the team before the competitions begin.”
The official added, “Once the athletes received the accreditation cards from the organising committee, it meant that they have been cleared to travel for the Asian Games. But surprisingly only these three players could not download their document and they could not board the flight.”
Confirming the development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China does not recognise the “so-called Arunachal Pradesh,” claiming that Zangnan (southern part of Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region) is part of China’s territory. She added that 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 recognize it. Zangnan (southern part of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region) is part of China's territory, Mao said. https://t.co/ZidxGKyjmH
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) September 22, 2023
India has strongly responded to the incident, stating that China’s action violated both the spirit of the 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 said on China denying accreditation to sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, stated in a statement that “India firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”
A strong protest has been lodged in New Delhi and Beijing against China’s deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportspersons. China’s action violates both the spirit of the Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states, the statement added.
The MEA further added that Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur’s visit to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou was called off as a mark of protest against China’s actions.
This is the second such incident in the past two months involving the same athletes. In July, China issued stapled visas to the players from Arunachal to participate in the World University Games in Chengdu, China. The purpose of stapled visas is to demonstrate that China rejects India’s assertion of sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh, and therefore refuses to stamp visas on the Indian passports of people from Arunachal. The eight-person Wushu team later withdrew from the Chengdu competition in protest against the same.
China regularly issues stapled visas instead of stamped visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and says it is a valid document to travel to China. However, the Indian government does not accept this.
Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister from Arunachal Pradesh, strongly condemned China over the development, saying it violates both the spirit of Sports & also the Rules governing the conduct of Asian Games, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states.
“Arunachal Pradesh is not a disputed territory but inalienable part of India. Entire people of Arunachal Pradesh resolutely oppose any illegal claim of China on it’s land and people. International Olympic Committee should reign in China’s illegitimate action,” Rijiju tweeted.
I strongly condemn this act by China to deny visas to our Wushu Athletes from Arunachal Pradesh who were to participate in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. This violates both the spirit of Sports & also the Rules governing the conduct of Asian Games, which explicitly prohibits…
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 22, 2023
Bhupendra Singh Bajwa, the president of the Wushu Association of India (WAI) and India’s chef de mission for the Asian Games raised the issue with the HAGOC and the Olympic Council of Asia on 21 September. A letter from WAI regarding the three denials of “valid accreditation cards” was sent to the Asian and global bodies.
The official conveyed, “Our chef-de-mission, Bhupendra Singh Bajwa, has already taken up the matter with the Asian Games organising committee while the Indian government has also been apprised of the matter. Bajwa has reached the Athletes’ Village in Hangzhou and will be discussing the matter with the organisers, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). In fact, Bajwa and Indian Olympic Association’s joint secretary and acting CEO Kalyan Chaubey had met the Chinese ambassador in Delhi some time ago to discuss the difficulty faced by some athletes in securing accreditation.”
Another official proclaimed, “There has been no response yet from the organisers and the OCA.” The players are still holding out hope that they can make it within the next two days because the wushu tournaments begin on 24 September. The three athletes reportedly visited with cabinet minister Kiren Rijiju and asked him to look into the matter.
A Wushu coach voiced, “They will lose an opportunity of a lifetime if they cannot compete. They have already missed a big event in the World University Games. They have requested Mr Rijiju that India should lodge a strong protest and if necessary, boycott the opening ceremony in protest if they are not given permission to travel.”
Rijiju held talks with senior government officials after the meeting in an effort to hasten the issue’s settlement. Sources indicated that the sports ministry later met in the evening and decided to approach the situation diplomatically.
The wushu competitions will be held from September 24 to 28 at the Guali Cultural & Sports Centre in Xiaoshan district.
Arunachal Pradesh residents first received stapled visas from China in the middle of the 2000s, and in 2009 the practise was expanded to include Jammu & Kashmir citizens. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi argued that stapled visas “do not undermine or compromise our respective positions on the border question” while visiting India in 2014. India stopped using the term “one China” policy in official papers more than ten years ago in response to these actions.
The 19th edition of the Asian Games started on 19 September, but the official opening ceremony will be held on 23 September. The greatest athletes in the continent are set to compete for gold from 23 September to 8 October at the Asian Games 2023.
Out of the entire 61 disciplines, 655 Indian competitors would battle it out throughout the course of 20 days. Indians have consistently performed well at the Asian Games, which are a major competition. India set a record at the 2018 Asian Games by winning 70 medals and is hoping to surpass that total this year. The Asian Games games would be played across 56 venues in China’s Hangzhou.
