WFI seeks US visa reversal for four women ahead of U23 World Championships in Las Vegas
The Wrestling Federation of India is pursuing reconsideration of US visa refusals for four women wrestlers ahead of the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, with the tournament due to start on Monday, October 12 and run until October 18 and the women's competition scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
The affected women are Parveen (50kg), Ahilya Shatrughn Shinde (55kg), Neha Sharma (57kg) and Neha Sangwan (65kg); their applications were declined alongside five Greco-Roman wrestlers, reportedly because the applicants were below 20 years of age and unemployed. The federation says it is making efforts to ensure the athletes get an opportunity to compete at the international event.
WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar said the federation remained hopeful that the embassy would reconsider its decision and provided a direct comment to the media: "We are hopeful that the US Embassy will reconsider the decision, particularly in the case of our women wrestlers. They have prepared for this competition and we are making every possible effort to ensure that they get an opportunity to represent India at the World Championships," Tomar told PTI.
The federation is banking on the two-day window before the women's competition starts to secure clearance for the four named athletes. Officials have intensified steps to pursue the pending cases so the wrestlers can travel in time for their scheduled events.
Six Indian women have already received visas: Sweety (53kg), Komal (59kg), Vaishnavi Patil (65kg), Mansi Lather (68kg), Amruta Pujari (72kg) and Diksha Malik (76kg), leaving part of the Indian contingent still in uncertainty over participation.
Five Greco-Roman wrestlers — Samarth Gajanan Mhakave, Dheeraj Kumar Malik, Sachin Kumar, Nikhil and Hardeep — were also refused visas; they are entered in the 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg categories, and their competition begins on Monday, which reduces the time available to resolve their cases.
All Indian men's freestyle wrestlers have been issued visas, clearing that section of the team to travel for the championships.
The WFI is awaiting a favourable decision on the outstanding visa appeals, particularly for the four women named, whose events are due to begin two days after the championships open in Las Vegas.