Chinese diplomat mum on karatekas not allowed to board flight

VISA-CHINA
 Chinese diplomat mum on karatekas not allowed to board flight
          New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) Amid a controversy over a team
 of karatekas from north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal
 Pradesh not being allowed to board a flight to Beijing for not
 possessing proper visa, Chinese Ambassador to India on Friday
 refused to comment on it, terming it as a "technical issue".
   "It is a technical issue. I would not like to go into
 it," Ambassador Zhang Yan told PTI on the sidelines of a
 function here.
   He was responding to a question on the team not being
 allowed to board a flight to Beijing at the Indira Gandhi
 International Airport here on Tuesday for not having regular
 visas.
   The players were scheduled to represent India at the
 11th Asian Karate-do Championship (junior and cadet) at
 Quanghou City in Fujjian province of China from July 20 to 25
 next.
   Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin had yesterday criticised
 China for issuing stapled visa to a team of karatekas from the
 northeastern state, thus preventing them from taking a flight
 from New Delhi to Beijing.
   Stapled visas were issued to them though, after a
 prolonged discussion with Indian authorities, the Chinese
 Embassy in New Delhi had agreed to issue regular visas to the
 Arunachalee karatekas. PTI VMR
 ASR