India withdrew its whole wushu (martial art) squad from the World University Games, which get underway Friday in Chengdu, China. This decision came as a protest over China’s decision to give stapled visas rather than stamped ones to three athletes from Arunachal Pradesh.
According to coach Raghvendra Singh, the decision was made hours after airport officials in New Delhi stopped an eight-person group, consisting of five athletes, a coach, and two support personnel, at the boarding gate minutes before departure on Thursday night at midnight.
Arunachal Pradesh athletes who were supposed to fly out to China on Friday at 1.05 am were not among those who were denied entry.
“We were stopped at the gate by immigration officials and CISF personnel. They did not give any reason and claimed they were merely acting on the government’s instructions,” Singh told The Indian Express.
The government determined that no Indian wushu player should travel for the competition in protest to China’s discriminatory move, according to a Wushu Federation of India official. Other athletes were therefore denied boarding even though they had legitimate travel documents.
Also Read:
China and Arunachal Pradesh
People from Arunachal Pradesh have been denied stamped visas by China over the years. It continues to treat areas that it deems to be in dispute separately. The matter has been brought up by India with the Chinese.
Indian people from Arunachal Pradesh have frequently been denied stamping visas by China due to a territorial issue.
The athletes submitted their visa applications on July 16, according to a representative of the federation. Applications of the remaining members of the squad were timely handled, but the paperwork submitted by the three athletes from Arunachal Pradesh—Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamgu—were not accepted.
The Chinese embassy sent back their passports with stapled visas on Wednesday afternoon, after they were instructed to complete their applications again on Tuesday.
After being notified of the choice, the administration postponed the team’s participation until determining on Thursday that India will not compete in the wushu event of the University Games.
Arunachal’s officials and athletes have previously been denied stamped visas by China. Five state-based karate athletes received stapled visas in 2011 so they could compete in Quanzhou.
Prior to the Youth World Championships two years later, two archers received stapled visas. In 2016, the manager of the Indian badminton team claimed he was denied a Chinese visa because he was from Arunachal Pradesh.
Follow InsideSport on GOOGLE NEWS / Follow Sports News Live Updates with InsideSport.IN.
Editor's Pick
Top Stories
