India announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

India now joins countries such as Canada and the United States in their diplomatic boycotts of the Olympic Games.

According to India Today, "Beijing decided to have Qi Fabao, a PLA regiment commander who sustained head injury while fighting in the Galwan Valley border skirmish with India, as torchbearer during the 'Torch Relay'."

Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), told the media that China's decision to include a soldier who so recently fought against Indian troops was "regrettable."

Bagchi then continued with, "I wish to inform that the Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of India in Beijing will not be attending the opening or the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics:"

The Galway Valley skirmish cost the lives of 20 Indian soldiers, and possibly as many as 38 soldiers on the Chinese side. The skirmish took place in June of 2020, and was the deadliest clash since the Sino-Indian War in 1962.

The announcement that China would host the 2022 Winter Olympics has been controversial from the start. Many human rights groups have been urging a total boycott of the games due to multiple issues, including China's muscling in on Hong Kong in violation of a previous agreement with the UK, their mistreatment of the Uyghurs in the western Xinjiang province, and many others.