Paddlers from across the border will not participate in the upcoming Commonwealth table tennis championships, starting here from Sunday, as Indian authorities have not granted visas to the Pakistan squad for the tournament.
‘We had requested permission for the all the countries who had shown interest in participating in the competition.
The Pakistan contingent was not given visa clearances by India government.
They will not be part of the championship,’ said Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) president P C Chaturvedi. In the Asian Cycling Championships held here in March, Pakistan riders had a difficult time getting visas from the Indian authorities, which even forced some of the cyclists to miss the competition.
The relations between the two countries have deteriorated further with the death of Sarabjit Singh in a Pakistan prison.
Regarding the presence of other teams in the competition, TTFI confirmed players from 14 countries will take part in the men’s category while 13 countries will fight it out in the women’s section.
‘We had requested permission for the all the countries who had shown interest in participating in the competition.
The Pakistan contingent was not given visa clearances by India government.
They will not be part of the championship,’ said Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) president P C Chaturvedi. In the Asian Cycling Championships held here in March, Pakistan riders had a difficult time getting visas from the Indian authorities, which even forced some of the cyclists to miss the competition.
The relations between the two countries have deteriorated further with the death of Sarabjit Singh in a Pakistan prison.
Regarding the presence of other teams in the competition, TTFI confirmed players from 14 countries will take part in the men’s category while 13 countries will fight it out in the women’s section.