Table of Contents
The News
- The 2022 winter Olympic games officially opened on 4 February 2022 in Beijing. They will end on 20 February.
- India announced a diplomatic boycott of the games just ahead of the opening ceremony.
Is it just India?
No…!!!
- The 2022 Beijing Games have been subject to various concerns and controversies including those related to human rights violations in China, including the Uyghur genocide & Peng Shuai issue, which has led to calls for a boycott of the games.
- Before India, US, UK & Canada declared a diplomatic boycott of Olympics along with Australia, Lithuania, Kosovo, Belgium, Denmark and Estonia joining in.
Curious Case of India
Curious Case of India
India boycotts
- India announced a diplomatic boycott of the games just ahead of opening ceremony.
- The decision came after Chinese media reports identified Qi Fabao, a PLA regiment commander who received military honours for the Galwan clashes, where he was injured, as one of about 1,200 runners bearing the torch at a relay in Beijing.
- China’s decision to field Qi Fabao as the torchbearer was termed “regrettable” by India.
- “It is indeed regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicise an event like Olympic”.
- State broadcaster Doordarshan also announced it will not telecast the opening and closing ceremonies live.
Diplomatic Boycott
- Diplomatic boycott doesn’t effect on athletes’ participation.
- A diplomatic boycott is a token protest that has no influence on the sporting spectacle.
- Although many countries have diplomatically boycotted this winter Olympics but so far, no athlete has withdrawn from the Beijing Games.
- India will proceed to be represented by only one athlete, alpine skier Arif Khan.
Why a diplomatic boycott & not complete boycott?
- In a full boycott, a country will completely withdraw from competing and attending an Olympic Games. This decision is, predominantly, politically motivated.
- S., famously, led a complete boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow in response to the Soviet-Afghan war. The Soviet retaliated in 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
- 1956: 8 countries withdrew from Melbourne Games over Suez crisis & Hungary crisis (China also withdrew over Taiwan)
- 1976: 34 countries withdrew from Montreal Games over New Zealand being allowed to compete after their rugby team had toured Apartheid South Africa that year.
- 1980: A record 66 countries boycotted Moscow Olympics
- 1984: USSR & 17 other countries responded by boycotting Los Angeles Games
- 1988: North Korea and Cuba boycotted the Seoul Olympics
What’s Chinese reaction?
- China has mentioned it’s “not bothered at all” by the boycotts.
- Chinese Embassy in Washington
- “In fact, no one would care about whether these people come or not, and it has no impact whatsoever on the #Beijing2022 to be successfully held.”
- Global Times, China’s state-run newspaper, dismissed Australia’s choice as “immature, arrogant and stupid” whereas the federal government mentioned the boycotting nations will “pay a price”.
- Wang Wenbin from Chinese overseas ministry
- “They will have to pay the price for their mistaken acts.”
Will there be tit for tat?
- There are fears that the boycott led by the US might provoke China to do the identical later on.
- US and Australia are the hosts of the Summer Olympics in 2028 (Los Angeles) and 2032 (Brisbane), respectively.
- Also, US is reportedly seeking to stage the Winter Olympics within the close to future.
- What can we expect?
- China boycotting these Olympics diplomatically..!!
- Bigger threat than that would be missing Chinese sponsors…!!
Another thing to look out