Thakur cancels China visit following denial of visa to Arunachal athletes

New Delhi: Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday decided to cancel his upcoming visit to Hangzhou for the Asian Games as a mark of protest against China’s decision to deny visas to three Indian wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh.

Female players Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu have been denied accreditation, which also works as visa for the Asian Games that officially open on Saturday in Hangzhou.

“Union Minister for I&B and Youth Affairs & Sports @ianuragthakur cancels visit to China for the Asian Games as India strongly protests China’s targeted and pre-meditated discrimination against Indian sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh by denying them accreditation and entry to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China,” a Sports Ministry statement said.

Meanwhile, India has lodged strong protests with China and asserted that New Delhi reserves the right to take “suitable measures” to safeguard its interests.

Describing the Chinese action as targeting of the sportspersons in a “pre-meditated” manner, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the move violates both the spirit of the Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct as they “explicitly prohibits discrimination” against competitors from member states.

He said a “strong protest” has been lodged against China’s “deliberate and selective obstruction” of some of India’s sportspersons.

“The government of India has learnt that the Chinese authorities have, in a targeted and pre-meditated manner, discriminated against some of the Indian sportspersons from the state of Arunachal Pradesh by denying them accreditation and entry to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China,” Bagchi said.

“In line with our long-standing and consistent position, 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,” he said.

Bagchi said India reserves the right to take “suitable measures to safeguard our interests”.

“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,” he said.

“Further, as a mark of our protest against the Chinese action, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports of India has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Games,” Bagchi added.