Indian athletes denied entry to 19th Asian Games by China over territorial dispute

• Three Indian athletes withdrew from the Asian Games.
• They were set to compete in wushu.
• The Indian wushu team missed the World University Games earlier.

Three Indian martial arts athletes, hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, a region claimed by China as “South Tibet,” had to withdraw from the Asian Games in Hangzhou after failing to secure approval from the host nation, just before the Games’ opening ceremony.

These female athletes were scheduled to compete in wushu, a martial art with roots in China. They had been granted approval to participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games but encountered issues when trying to download their accreditation cards, which serve as visas to China. They left for the Games along with the rest of the squad and coaching staff but were unable to participate.

Neither the Indian Olympic Association nor the Ministry of External Affairs has provided an official statement on this matter.

Previously, the Indian wushu team had also missed the World University Games in Chengdu due to concerns related to stapled visas, indicating China’s refusal to recognize India’s territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh. This had prompted strong reactions from India’s foreign ministry, labeling the move “unacceptable.”

Arunachal Pradesh, situated in India, shares a Buddhist cultural heritage with Tibet. The Dalai Lama sought refuge in India in 1959 following an unsuccessful uprising against Chinese rule and has resided there since then. China briefly occupied most of the territory in a violent conflict three years later.

This year, India strongly objected to China’s renaming of 11 places in the disputed region, emphasizing that Arunachal Pradesh remains an “integral and inalienable part of India.”

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