World championship: Visa troubles thwart gold bid

KARACHI: The Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) have lodged a complaint with the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) after cueists Haris Tahir and Mohammad Saqib were unable to receive Belgium’s visa on time and thereby could not participate in the World U18 and U21 Championships.

For Pakistanis, it take 60 days for Belgium’s visa to be processed, but PBSA President Alamgir Sheikh revealed that Pakistan received the invitation just a month before the world championships, resulting in insufficient time to obtain the visa.



“We’ve protested strongly and have conveyed our frustration to the IBSF as a golden opportunity to win a medal has been wasted,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “The hosts and the IBSF should have extended the invitation earlier.”

Sheikh, meanwhile, also suggested bringing in a dedicated visa official, especially for sports. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2016.

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