Union Minister Kiren Rijiju condemns China for denying visas to Arunachal athletes for the 19th Asian games

Three women players Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu received their accreditation cards from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC), which also acts as an entry visa. However, the three players from Arunachal could not download their travel documents when they were scheduled to travel for the Asian Games.

New Delhi: Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju on Friday condemned China's act of denying visas to the Wushu athletes from Arunachal Pradesh. "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 and also the rules governing the conduct of Asian Games, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states," Rijiju posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"Arunachal Pradesh is not a disputed territory but an unalienable part of India. The entire people of Arunachal Pradesh resolutely oppose any illegal claim of China on its land and people. International Olympic Committee should reign in China’s illegitimate action," he added. China has once again provoked India, this time by denying access to three players from India's Arunachal Pradesh.

According to sources, three Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh have not been able to travel to Hangzhou, China for the Asian Games in the absence of clearance by the Chinese authorities. It is pertinent to note that the three women players--Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu--did receive their accreditation cards from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC), which also acts as an entry visa. The athletes are then required to download their travel document, which is validated upon arrival.

However, the three players from Arunachal could not download their travel document on Wednesday when they were scheduled to travel for the Asian Games. The rest of the Wushu squad comprising a total of 10 players, along with the coaching staff, faced no such issues and boarded the flight for Hong Kong on Wednesday night from where they had a connecting flight to Hangzhou.

Meanwhile, India has lodged a strong protest 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 Government of India has learnt that the Chinese authorities have in a targeted abuse and 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," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

In line with our long-standing and consistent position, India firmly rejects the differential treatment of Indian citizens based on domicile or ethnicity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India, he added.

Moreover, as a mark of our protest against the Chinese action, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Games. Notably, Arunachal Pradesh has become the latest flashpoint between India and China whose relations are at an all-time low due to the Galwan Valley clash at LAC.