By IANS,
Mumbai : Commonwealth Games gold medallist pistol shooter Pemba Tamang was stopped from boarding a flight here to Beijing for the World Cup by immigration officials as his passport had the “invalid” stapled visa that China issues to Indians from Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.
The incident happened Thursday night when Tamang, a resident of Arunachal, was going to China for the Shooting World Cup being held from April 17 to 24.
The union government issued an advisory in November making it clear that such visas stapled to the passport are not considered valid for travel out of the country. The government has also criticised China for issuing such visas to people of Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
But Tamang, an armyman, said that he was not aware of such travel rules as he had travelled to China on stapled paper visas in the past as well.
“In the past, I have traveled to China on a paper visa on three previous occasions. But never faced any problems and I was not aware that now such visas are invalid. If I was aware of it I would not have accepted the visa,” said Tamang.
Tamang, who was part of the 28-member squad, said he was stopped by the immigration officials after he had checked in.
Tamang still has a chance of making it to the World Cup if he is issued a fresh pasted visa.
“I still have a slim chance because my event is on April 21 and 22. I have been informed by the immigration officials that if the Indian Embassy in China issues a letter relaxing the conditions then I can make it,” he said.