Asian Games: Sports Minister Anurag Thakur cancels China trip after athletes from India's Arunachal Pradesh denied entry

Sports minister of India Anurag Thakur has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the 19th Asian Games after Beijing denied entry to three India Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, on Friday, said, “A strong protest has been lodged in New Delhi and Beijing against China’s deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportsperson.” “Further, as a mark of our protest against the Chinese action, Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports of India, Anurag Thakur, has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Games. Government of India reserves the right to take suitable measures to safeguard our interests,” the MEA spokesperson said. ‘Firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens’ Responding to media queries on Indian sportspersons being denied entry into Asian Games being held in China, Bagchi said, “India firmly reject differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity.” “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,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, said.

Our response to media queries on some Indian sportspersons being denied entry into 19th Asian Games:https://t.co/wtoQA8zaDH pic.twitter.com/cACRspcQkD

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 22, 2023

‘Violates spirit of Sports & Rules governing conduct of Asian Games’ Condemning China’s denial of entry to Wushu athletes from Arunachal Pradesh,  Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said: “This violates both the spirit of Sports and also the Rules governing the conduct of Asian Games, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states.”

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

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“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,” the minister added. Indian players denied entry in China Three India wushu players - Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamgu - from Arunachal Pradesh were denied entry to China, while the remaining seven players of the Indian Wushu team as well as staff flew out to Hong Kong and from there boarded a flight to China’s Hangzhou. One of the players had got the accreditation, while the other two were waiting, but after the team left for China on 20 September, they were not allowed to board the plane as there was no proper clearance for boarding, reports said. The three players were brought back to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in JLN Stadium, New Delhi. The Wushu event at the 19th Asian Games begins on 24 September.