New Delhi: After three wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh were denied accreditation cards to participate in the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) Acting President Randhir Singh said that politics and sport should be kept separate during international sporting events.
“Politics is politics, and sports is sports. They should not be mixed,” Singh told the Global Times in an interview. The Global Times is the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party and is known for its heavily propagandistic slant. “Politics should be kept separately, while we are here to promote friendship and love between each other,” Singh, an ace shooter, who has represented India in several Asian and Olympic Games, was quoted as saying.
It may be mentioned that Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu, the three wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh, did not get their accreditation cards from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee which also serve as an entry visa. The athletes are then required to download their travel documents, which are validated upon arrival.
India protested strongly saying that it “firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity”. “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,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said in a statement after the three players did not get their accreditation cards.
Also read: Chinese envoy calls for strengthening bilateral ties amid row over visa denial for Arunachal players
“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.” Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur also cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Games as a mark of protest.
Stressing that “it is not a time for politics”, Singh further stated, “This is 15 days or a month that one can keep the politics away and participate and enjoy the Games.” With China claiming Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of what it calls the South Tibet region, this is not the first time that athletes from the northeastern state have not been able to participate in sporting events in India’s northern neighbour.
A couple of months ago, three players from Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas by the Chinese embassy for the World University Games in Chengdu. Following this, the entire 12-member Indian wushu team called off the trip. A stapled visa is an unstamped piece of paper attached to a passport with staples or a pin. Unlike regular visas that are affixed and stamped directly on the passport, stapled visas are detachable. The issuance of stapled visas is part of China’s ongoing territorial disputes with India over Arunachal Pradesh. China claims that such visas are valid documents but India has consistently refused to accept this position.
In 2011, five karatekas from Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas for participating in an event in China. The same year, an Indian Weightlifting Federation official and a weightlifter from Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas to participate in a grand prix event in China. Then again in 2011, two archers from Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas for participating in the Youth World Archery Championships in China. All these people had to forego their plans as authorities at Indian airports and security personnel do not accept stapled visas as valid travel documents.
Issuing stapled visas to Indian nationals from Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir is part of China’s efforts to undermine India’s sovereignty over these regions. China’s actions are seen as attempts to challenge India’s control and authority over parts of its own territory.
