The United States has refused visas to nine Indian wrestlers ahead of the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, putting their participation in the competition under uncertainty.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said the athletes were reportedly refused visas because they are below 20 years of age and do not have formal employment. The championships are scheduled to be held from October 12 to 18.
The affected wrestlers were among 24 members of the Indian contingent who appeared for visa appointments at the US Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday. Sixteen of those applicants were wrestlers, of whom nine were refused visas. The athletes were verbally informed about the decision after their interviews, and their passports were returned to them.
Among those denied visas is Neha Sangwan, who won the U17 World Championship title in 2024. The WFI has appealed to the US Embassy to reconsider the cases and has also raised concerns about wrestlers whose visa appointments are scheduled for Thursday. The federation said further refusals could affect India’s ability to send its full team to the championships.
In a letter to the US Embassy, the WFI said the nine wrestlers were reportedly denied visas because of their employment status and age. “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 federation said.
The nine wrestlers named by the WFI are Samarth Gajanan Mhakave, Dheeraj Kumar Malik, Sachin Kumar, Nikhil, Hardeep, Parveen, Ahilya Shatrughn Shinde, Neha Sharma and Neha Sangwan. The federation said many of the athletes are young and are still pursuing professional wrestling careers, meaning they are not formally employed. “Accordingly, many of these young athletes are understandably still pursuing their sporting careers and are not formally employed,” it said.
The WFI has urged the US Embassy to reconsider the refused applications and provide clarity on the cases of athletes yet to attend their appointments. The federation said it was particularly concerned about the wrestlers scheduled to appear on Thursday, as many are also below 20 and currently unemployed. With the U23 World Championships approaching, the visa issue has left India’s participation in Las Vegas under a cloud.