NNA – New Delhi cancelled Friday a trip by its sports minister to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, saying that Chinese authorities had denied accreditation and entry to Indian athletes from a region claimed by Beijing.
According to Indian media reports, three women martial arts fighters from the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh were approved to take part in the sports extravaganza by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee.
But the wushu fighters were unable to download their accreditation cards, which act as visas to enter China, the Hindustan Times reported.
The northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is claimed almost in full by Beijing, which calls it quot;South Tibetquot;.
China had discriminated against some of the Indian athletes quot;in a targeted and pre-meditated mannerquot;, India#39;s foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.
quot;China#39;s action violates both the spirit of the Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states,quot; he added.
A quot;strong protestquot; had been lodged in both New Delhi and Beijing against quot;China#39;s deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportspersonsquot;, he said, and a trip by the sports minister to the event had been cancelled.
Wushu, or kung fu, is a multi-disciplinary martial art originating in China.
The rest of the 10-member Indian squad along with the coaching staff left for the Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday, according to reports. mdash; AFPnbsp;
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