Soon after it was announced that the Indian diplomats in Beijing will not attend the opening and closing ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (February 4-20) following reports of China making a Galwan soldier one of the torchbearers for the quadrangular Games, Prasar Bharati announced on Thursday that its DD Sports channel will not telecast live the two ceremonies.

"Consequent to the announcement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) @meaindia, @ddsportschannel will not telecast live the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing," Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharati, tweeted.

Beijing Winter Olympics

China politicises Olympics

Earlier on Thursday, the MEA had said that it is regrettable that China has chosen to politicise the Olympics.

"The Indian envoy will not attend the opening or closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on reports of China.

Prasar Bharati
Prasar Bharati

The soldier in question, who has been identified as Qi Fabao, is reportedly a regimental commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Fabao was grievously injured during the bloody clash between the PLA and Indian troopers in the Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh in June 2020.

(With inputs from IANS)

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