India’s participation at the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas has been thrown into uncertainty after nine wrestlers were refused US visas during appointments at the American Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The affected athletes were among 16 Indian wrestlers who appeared for visa appointments as part of a 24-member group from the Indian contingent. Their passports were returned after the interviews, while the refusals were communicated verbally.
In the meantime, the Wrestling Federation of India said the decisions were reportedly linked to the applicants’ employment status and age. According to the federation, the wrestlers affected are below 20 and do not hold formal employment, despite being eligible for the U23 competition.
“Today, 24 participants appeared at the Embassy for their visa appointments, out of which 16 were wrestlers. Unfortunately, 09 wrestlers were refused visas, reportedly due to their employment status and are below 20 years of age,” the WFI said in its letter as quoted by PTI.
Why is there a problem?
The U23 World Championships are designed for athletes between 18 and 23 years old, meaning several members of India’s squad are still at an early stage of their competitive careers. The federation has argued that their lack of formal employment is a consequence of pursuing wrestling professionally.
“Accordingly, many of these young athletes are understandably still pursuing their sporting careers and are not formally employed,” the federation said.
Among the wrestlers whose applications were refused is Neha Sangwan, the 2024 U17 World Champion. The other athletes listed by the WFI are Samarth Gajanan Mhakave, Dheeraj Kumar Malik, Sachin Kumar, Nikhil, Hardeep, Parveen, Ahilya Shatrughn Shinde and Neha Sharma.
Notably, the federation has approached the US Embassy seeking reconsideration of the refused applications. It has also raised concerns over athletes scheduled for their visa appointments on Thursday, saying most of them are similarly under 20 and currently without formal employment.
“We are deeply concerned about the remaining wrestlers who are scheduled for their visa appointments tomorrow, as most of them are also currently unemployed and below 20 years of age,” the WFI said.
With the championships scheduled in Las Vegas from October 12 to 18, the visa issue has put India’s participation at risk. The WFI is now seeking clarity and a review from the US Embassy in the hope that the affected wrestlers will be able to travel and compete.