Politics · India Bureau
Visa delays threaten Indian athletes' Asian Games preparation
Four to five members of India's 74-strong athletics contingent are awaiting visa clearance for Japan, potentially disrupting their acclimatisation schedule ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The Athletics Federation of India is seeking government intervention to resolve the documentation hurdles.
LSN India ·
Most of India's athletics team has already arrived in Japan for a pre-competition acclimatisation camp near Tokyo, but a handful of athletes remain unable to secure entry visas as the Games approach. According to Athletics Federation of India officials, approximately 4-5 team members are still awaiting visa approval, though there is optimism that the matter will be resolved promptly.
The visa delays stem from administrative requirements imposed by VFS, the outsourcing company handling visa and passport processing. The company has mandated that applications must be submitted in the jurisdictions where passports were originally issued, adding complexity to the approval process. The AFI is considering approaching government authorities to expedite the clearances.
With athletics competitions scheduled to begin on September 23, the delayed athletes face a compressed timeline. Should the visa situation not be resolved quickly, affected team members may have limited time at the Tokyo acclimatisation facility before joining their teammates in Nagoya for the Games. The federation remains confident that administrative channels will facilitate their entry in time for competition preparations.