Arunachali manager of Indian badminton team denied visa by China

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Bamang Tago was to lead a 14-member Indian team on the invitation of Fuzhou Municipal Sports Bureau.
Bamang Tago was to lead a 14-member Indian team on the invitation of Fuzhou Municipal Sports Bureau.

(TibetanReview.net, Nov18, 2016) – The Chinese embassy in New Delhi has refused to issue visa to the manager of the Indian badminton team taking part in the Thaihot China Open in Fuzhou, saying an approval for Beijing was required since he was a resident Arunachal Pradesh, reported India’s PTI news agency Nov 16.

Bamang Tago was to lead a 14-member Indian team on the invitation of Fuzhou Municipal Sports Bureau. The China Super Series Premier badminton tournament began on Nov 15 and will conclude on Nov 20 while Bamang has been stuck in New Delhi since Nov 10.

“When I checked with the Chinese Embassy about the status of my visa application, I was told by embassy officials that since I belong to Arunachal Pradesh, an approval from Beijing is required,” Taco, who is also the Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh Badminton Association, was quoted as saying.

Denying visa for Taco appeared to be a deliberate decision by China. The Badminton Association of India had submitted all required documents of the members of the Indian contingent at the Chinese Embassy, New Delhi, several weeks back for obtaining the travel documents. However, while all other 13 members got their visa without any problem and left for Fuzhou on Nov 12, Tago got left behind.

China had at one time refused to issue visas for applicants from Arunachal Pradesh, saying they were Chinese citizens and therefore did not need one. More recently, following protests from India, applicants from the state were issued visas stapled to their Indian passports rather than being stamped in them as per the norm. In Oct 2013, two young archers from Arunachal Pradesh could not participate in the Youth World Archery Championship in Wuxi, China, as Indian immigration officials prevented them from boarding the flight for not having a regular visa.

The same thing had happened in 2011 when a five-member karate team on its way to Quanzhou to take part in the Asian Karate-do championship. The year before, in Jan 2012, a team of Arunachali weightlifters also could not leave for China for the same reason.

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