Khatri, who was seeded third in the tournament, was denied the visa by the Polish embassy, which said that his “purpose of travelling to the country was not valid”.
“We were aiming to be among the top three teams,” Khatri told The Express Tribune. “I’m shocked because I was looking forward to the tournament. I’ve travelled before and I took part in the 2009 World Cup. I don’t know why my visa was turned down.”
Khatri and Wajid Iqbal were finalised by the Pakistan Scrabble Association as the two players to represent the country. However, Khatri’s visa issue has dented Pakistan’s hopes and the player said that this would affect Iqbal’s confidence as well. “We were going there as a team. The pressure on Iqbal will increase and it hurts Pakistan’s chances,” said Khatri.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2011.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
v sad.I knew him personally.He is such a nice n talented boy.Four times national champion & a v enthusiastic scrabble player. He has participated in a number of international championships n done vey well over a past couple of years.I feel sorry for him as well for scrabble in Pakistan