NEW DELHI: The Indian Sports Minister, Anurag Thakur, took a significant step on Friday by canceling his planned visit to China. This decision was made in response to a troubling incident involving three Indian wushu athletes: Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamgu, who were denied entry into China. The Ministry of External Affairs promptly addressed this issue.

The remaining members of the Indian Wushu team, consisting of seven athletes and support staff, proceeded with their journey. They first traveled to Hong Kong and from there took a flight to Hangzhou, China. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Indian government retains the right to take appropriate actions to protect its interests. Additionally, they strongly voiced their objection to China's practice of differentiating treatment of Indian citizens based on their place of domicile.

The statement from the Ministry of External Affairs went on to emphasize that China's actions run contrary to the spirit and regulations governing the Asian Games. Consequently, the affected Indian athletes were relocated to the Sports Authority of India hostel situated at Delhi's Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium.

In response to the reports regarding Indian athletes being denied entry into China, Mao Ning, the spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, made a statement on Friday. Ning asserted that China, as the host nation, extends a warm welcome to athletes from all countries to participate in the Asian Games provided they possess the necessary legal documents.

Regarding the contentious issue of 'Arunachal Pradesh,' Ning clarified that the Chinese government does not recognize it as part of its territory. He emphasized that Zangnan, the southern section of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, is unequivocally considered part of China.

In the midst of this diplomatic standoff, sources within the Indian Wushu team disclosed that they have actively engaged with the organizing committee of the Asian Games and the Olympic Council of Asia to address the situation. They expressed optimism that a resolution to this matter would be achieved in due course.

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