Ramit Mehrotra, Pune
Three women Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh, Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamgu, were denied entry to the 19th Asian Games because China refused clearance to the athletes and offered staple visas instead.
The women sportspersons received their accreditation cards from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, which also functions as a visa, but unfortunately could not download them upon arrival. It was reported that only one of the three athletes could download the accreditation cards. However, she was informed that she could travel only up to Hong Kong with a regular visa, after which only a staples visa could be provided.
The team was scheduled to leave on Wednesday but was unable to do so as the document wasn’t available to download, and the rest of the squad along with the coaching staff had to travel without them. The players were then brought back to New Delhi at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in JLN Stadium. Mepung Lampu, one of the Wushu athletes, took to Twitter to inform her whereabouts following the development, saying that she is in constant touch with her family and the situation is at peace.
India has launched a diplomatic protest following China’s discriminatory actions and has labeled them as ‘targeted or premeditated’, which runs against the spirit of the Asian Games. Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has decided to abstain from the official visit as a sign of protest.
China defended its statement by saying that the players were not denied their visas but were provided with a different visa offering similar privileges, which the Indian players refused to accept. This incident is a repetition of July when three Indian sportspersons belonging to a northeastern state were denied entry from their regular visas to an international sports event organized in China.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, said that the rejection of entry for Indian sportspersons was intentional by denying their accreditation cards and also emphasized India’s rejection as a deferential treatment to domicile and ethnic identities and that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. Bagchi also stated that a strong sense of protest has been launched in Delhi and Beijing against the deliberate obstruction of India’s entry. He points out that China’s actions violate the spirit of the Asian Games, which is outright discrimination against contenders from member states.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has also condemned this act.