Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 16 Oct: A 24-year-old weightlifter from Arunachal Pradesh has been forced to miss the upcoming Senior World Weightlifting Championships in China after the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) decided against sending him over the contentious stapled visa issue.
Charu Pesi, a promising athlete from Kra Daadi district, was preparing to represent India at the championship scheduled to be held in Ningbo from 28 November to 8 December.
However, his participation was ruled out after Chinese authorities reportedly indicated that he would be issued a stapled visa, which India does not recognise.
According to reports, the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (CVASC) sought confirmation from the IWLF on whether Pesi would accept the visa.
The federation subsequently consulted government officials, who reportedly reiterated India's longstanding position against stapled visas issued to residents of Arunachal, following which it decided to withdraw the athlete.
Speaking to this daily, disappointed Pesi said the development had dealt a major blow to his sporting aspirations, particularly his preparations for the 2028 Olympics.
"The Senior World Championship is the biggest stage for an athlete. I come from Kra Daadi and had trained for months in Delhi to participate in this event. Every athlete dreams of competing in the Olympics, but I have been denied this opportunity because of the stapled visa issue. It has really affected my morale and confidence," he said.
Pesi said that, although other international competitions could offer opportunities to qualify for the Olympics, missing the world championship is particularly painful.
"There are other international qualifying rounds for the Olympics, but this was the biggest stage. Moreover, many major sporting events are held in China. This issue has created problems not only for me but also for other promising athletes," he said.
The incident has revived concerns over the longstanding visa dispute between India and China, which has repeatedly affected athletes from the state.
China issues stapled visas to residents of Arunachal in connection with its territorial claims over the state, which India firmly rejects, maintaining that Arunachal is an integral and inalienable part of the country.
In July 2023, three wushu players from Arunachal - Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu - were issued stapled visas for the Summer World University Games in Chengdu, prompting India to withdraw its entire wushu contingent in protest.
For Pesi, who spent months training in Delhi, the latest setback has dashed his hopes of competing at one of weightlifting's biggest international events and raised fresh concerns over the impact of diplomatic disputes on the sporting careers of athletes from Arunachal.
