South Asian Championship: Junior athletics team denied Indian visa
Contingent consisted of 18 male and eight female players
PHOTO: STOCK IMAGE
KARACHI:
Indian authorities refused to grant visas to the Pakistan junior athletics team, which was set to compete in the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship in India, informed the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) yesterday.
AFP officials confirmed that the Pakistan squad consisting of 18 males and eight female athletes was denied visas by the Indian embassy for the South Asian event which begins today.
This is the second case within a month in which the Indian embassy has refused to grant visas to Pakistani sportsmen due to the political scenario between the governments of the two countries, with the kabaddi team the first victims, having been denied the opportunity to travel to India to participate in the Kabaddi World Cup earlier this month.
AFP President Major General (retd) Mohammad Akram Sahi was also expected to travel with the contingent and had sent a request to the Indian High Commission to allow junior athletes to participate in the event.
His request, however, was denied. “We had been training for this championship for a very long time. A training camp was established at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad and the athletes were working extremely hard for the event,” said Sahi. “However, all our efforts have been in vain. I hope the Indian embassy puts an end to mixing politics with sports.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2016.
Indian authorities refused to grant visas to the Pakistan junior athletics team, which was set to compete in the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship in India, informed the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) yesterday.
AFP officials confirmed that the Pakistan squad consisting of 18 males and eight female athletes was denied visas by the Indian embassy for the South Asian event which begins today.
No recognition in Pakistan for Paralympian Haider
This is the second case within a month in which the Indian embassy has refused to grant visas to Pakistani sportsmen due to the political scenario between the governments of the two countries, with the kabaddi team the first victims, having been denied the opportunity to travel to India to participate in the Kabaddi World Cup earlier this month.
AFP President Major General (retd) Mohammad Akram Sahi was also expected to travel with the contingent and had sent a request to the Indian High Commission to allow junior athletes to participate in the event.
CAS finds five Russians guilty of doping
His request, however, was denied. “We had been training for this championship for a very long time. A training camp was established at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad and the athletes were working extremely hard for the event,” said Sahi. “However, all our efforts have been in vain. I hope the Indian embassy puts an end to mixing politics with sports.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2016.