CHENNAI: Even as the Spanish Embassy rejected the visa application of the 21 Indian wrestlers selected to take part in the U-23 World Championships, a private travel agent managed to procure the same for a woman grappler. That too in less than a week.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) applied for visas for the Indian team comprising 30 wrestlers and their support staff on October 4.
Shocked with the treatment meted out to the Indian wrestlers by the host nation, the WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has sent a letter to the world governing body UWW (United World Wrestling) and the Spain federation.
Singh, who is a BJP member of parliament from Kaiserganj, Uttar Pradesh, has also written to the Spanish government drawing its attention to the fact that a private agent managed to procure a visa even when an affiliated unit of the UWW couldn't do that.
Haryana's Priyanka defeated her statemate Bhavna in the 76kg trials. She, however, got injured later forcing her to withdraw. The situation meant Bhavna's kin wanted her to replace Priyanka.
"They (Bhavna's kin) spoke to the federation but by then the visa application had been sent. So they proceeded in their personal capacity with the help of a travel agent. What shocked us was that even as wrestlers, who were recommended by the WFI, were refused visa, the woman's kin managed to obtain the same for her and that too within four days," Vinod Tomar, assistant secretary of the WFI, told this daily.
The wrestlers (10 each in men's freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling) were selected following trials to compete in the event, which started on Monday in Pontevedra. Only nine of them (six Greco-Roman, two women and one freestyle) were cleared for participation by the Spanish Embassy.
It was the reason for the refusal cited by the Embassy, which drew maximum flak. “There is a reasonable doubt as to your intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa,” read the refusal letter sent to 21 wrestlers.
Tomar said the WFI president wrote the letter, with visa approval of Bhavna attached along with it, to the Spanish government. "The federation president wrote that the incident indicates possible corruption in the Embassy and requested the government to probe it," added Tomar.
As things stand, only nine wrestlers from the country could compete in the event. "We were expecting a response from the Spanish government but so far it has shown no positive sign. So now only nine wrestlers, whose visa applications were accepted, will compete there," signed off Tomar.
Ironically, despite the visa Bhavna, who has never represented the country in an international meet as per Tomar, had to wait for her debut as her name was not in the entry list sent by the WFI.