Visa Delay Leaves Asian Games-Bound Indian Athletes In Limbo

A visa delay has left eight Indian track and field athletes stranded in New Delhi, with their preparations for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan facing an unwanted setback.

Among those waiting for travel clearance are high jumper Supriya B, pole vault national record holder Sindhushree G, along with hammer thrower Praveen Kumar, sprinter Harita Bhadra, quarter-miler Kiran Pahal, heptathlete Anamika KA and triple jumper Asha Ilango. Two coaches are also reportedly awaiting their visas.

The athletes have already made multiple trips to the visa office over the past 10 days, but their travel documents are yet to be cleared. They visited the office again on Monday in the hope of resolving the issue, but the process could face further delays because of the Ganesh Chaturthi holiday.

The athletes were added to India's Asian Games squad relatively late after impressive performances at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in June, which served as the final selection trials.

As a result, their accreditation is reportedly still pending. While the athletes have been assured that their accreditation will be completed before the Games, the delay has created complications because they were scheduled to travel to Japan early for a preparatory camp.

The concern is not merely about reaching Japan before competition. The Indian athletics contingent is using a preparatory camp at Tsukuba University to adapt to Japan's weather, time zone and competition conditions.

Most of India's 70-plus track and field athletes have already made their way to Japan, allowing them valuable time to acclimatise.

For the eight athletes still in New Delhi, every additional day spent waiting could mean less time to adjust to the conditions they will face at the Asian Games.

The uncertainty has also started weighing on the athletes. With limited information about when their visas will be issued, some are reportedly growing anxious about whether they will be able to travel in time for the continental event, which begins in Aichi-Nagoya on September 19.

The situation was partly linked to the fact that these athletes were not part of the initial list of probables prepared earlier in the year. Their names entered the equation after strong performances during the final selection phase in June.

Supriya emerged as a late contender in the women's high jump, while Sindhushree made headlines by breaking the national pole vault record and securing her place in the Asian Games squad.

Although their late inclusion was known months ago, the additional accreditation and visa paperwork appears to have taken longer than expected.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which is responsible for sending India's contingent to the Asian Games, is understood to be working through the process. Attempts to obtain clarity from IOA president PT Usha and other senior officials regarding the delay and the athletes' travel status were unsuccessful.

Officials and those involved in the process remain hopeful that the visas will be issued soon and that the athletes will reach Japan in time. However, the prolonged wait has already reduced the amount of acclimatisation time available to a group preparing for one of the biggest competitions of their season.

With the Asian Games now just days away, the athletes will be hoping that the visa hurdle is cleared quickly and that they can finally join their teammates in Japan.