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A long-standing border dispute between India and China has left three Indian martial arts competitors stranded at home and unable to make it to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, while sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries.
- The athletes received visas stapled, rather than stamped, to their passports
- The three athletes are from the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety
- Border disputes between India and China go back decades
The three female wushu athletes are from India's eastern Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety.
According to Indian media, the three athletes could not download their accreditation cards, which act as visas to enter China.
Unlike the rest of India's athletes competing at this year's games who were given Asian Games badges that also serve as visas to enter China, the three were also given visas stapled to their passports.
The practice of issuing visas on loose sheets of paper, rather than stamped onto the passport, has been seen as China's way of questioning India's sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh, which is situated near the border between the two nations.
India responded by filing a protest in New Delhi and Beijing, said Arindam Bagchi, spokesman for the ministry of external affairs.
Mr Bagchi accused China of violating "both the spirit of the Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct."
"In line with our long-standing and consistent position, India firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity," he said.
"Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India."
In protest, India's sports minister, Anurag Thakur, cancelled his visit to the games.
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) official Wei Jizhong told reporters in Hangzhou on Friday that the three athletes, Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu, had refused to accept the stapled visas because they differed from those given the rest of the team.
"According to the Chinese government regulations, we have the right to give them different kind of visa," he said.
In July, the same athletes did not compete at the World University Games in Chengdu, China, because they were given similar visas.
With the Asian Games opening ceremonies a day away, the OCA's acting director general, Vinod Kumar Tiwari, who is Indian, said officials were working to resolve the issue.
"This has been brought to our notice yesterday and we are taking up this matter with the organising committee and will try to find a solution very quickly," he said.
Asked about the visa issue, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said "China welcomes athletes from all countries" to attend the Asia Games, but also doubled down on Beijing's position.
"China doesn't recognise the so-called Arunachal Pradesh province you mentioned," she said.
"The southern Tibetan region is part of China's territory."
Disputes over the long border between the two Asian giants run deep, with the countries fighting a war over it in 1962.
More recently, in June 2020, a clash in the Karakoram mountains in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh sparked tensions after soldiers fought with stones, fists and clubs.
At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed.
ABC/wires