Asian Games 2023: Sports Minister Anurag Thakur cancels China trip after Arunachal Pradesh players denied visa

Three Wushu players were denied entry for the continental meet.

Three Indian martial arts athletes from Arunachal Pradesh have been forced to pull out of the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023 after not receiving clearance from the host country. The three Wushu players - Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamguwere were approved to take part by the Asian Games Organising Committee but were unable to download their accreditation cards, which act as visas to enter China.

In response to the situation the Government of India has established 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.

Reacting on the issue Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "In line with our longstanding 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.

"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.

"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."

A month earlier, athletes from the northeastern state were issued stapled visas – an indication that China does not recognize India’s territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh.