NEW DELHI – The Indian High Commission has finally issued visas to thePakistan squash contingent, allowing the team to participate in WorldJunior Squash Championships to be held in Chennai from July 17 to 29.
Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) secretary, Tahir Sultan said the visa forthe last player in the contingent had been issued on Thursday.
“We have now visas for the entire contingent comprising six players andthree officials who will take part in the team and individualchampionships,” he said.
Initially, the Indian High Commission had returned the passports of theplayers and officials of PSF without granting them visa.
Sultan claimed that it was after the PSF approached the World SquashFederation and Asian Squash Federation and asked them to cancel the event.
“We thank the World and Asian bodies for taking up our case and getting theIndian squash body to convince their government to issue us visas in achange of heart,” he said.
Sultan said that the World Junior Championship is an international event ofthe World Squash Federation and it has been given to India to host andthere was no justification for keeping Pakistan team out of it.
“We had asked the concerned bodies and affiliated members to intervene andensure we get the Indian visas or else the World Championship should not beheld in India,” he said.