KOLKATA/NAGPUR: The Indian archers’ international season is off to a bumpy start after only a few members of the squad could board the flight to the US on Saturday for the season-opening World Cup first leg in Florida from April 8-13.
The fate of nine of the 24-member senior Indian team hangs in the balance as they are still awaiting their US visas. Despite the Archery Association of India’s (AAI) whole-hearted effort, the archers failed to get an early US visa appointment date. Fifteen members of the team who already had US visas departed, while the remaining members are scheduled for biometrics and visa interviews only on Monday morning, a day before the event begins in Florida.
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“Regrettably, despite our relentless efforts and multiple follow-ups over the past 40 days, the Indian archery team is still facing significant challenges in securing a US visa appointment due to unforeseen system issues,” AAI said on Instagram.
“We had a bitter experience with US visas in 2015 also and hence approached the visa office well in advance,” AAI assistant secretary Gunjan Abrol told TOI on Saturday. “We have no idea what the problem was as they cited technical issues behind this,” he added.
However, AAI is still hopeful that visas will be issued on Monday, and the archers can leave for Florida on that night itself. “We can only hope that they get the clearance and make it in time for the competition,” Abrol said.
The Indian team’s medal chances will take a serious hit if stranded compound world champion Aditi Swami and Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara fail to join the squad in Florida. “We didn’t really know what happened. But it’s sad and very disturbing before a big event like the World Cup,” Olympian Atanu Das told TOI on Saturday. In case the six stranded archers fail to reach Florida, India will not be able to field a compound women’s team as Jyothi Surekha Vennam will then remain the country’s sole representative in the category.
Those still awaiting visas:
Archers: Dhiraj Bommadevara, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, Taniparthi Chikitha, Aditi Swami, Anshika Kumari and Uday Kamboj.
Support staff: Sonam Tshring Bhutia, Jiwanjot Singh Teja, Snober Rupal.
The fate of nine of the 24-member senior Indian team hangs in the balance as they are still awaiting their US visas. Despite the Archery Association of India’s (AAI) whole-hearted effort, the archers failed to get an early US visa appointment date. Fifteen members of the team who already had US visas departed, while the remaining members are scheduled for biometrics and visa interviews only on Monday morning, a day before the event begins in Florida.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
“Regrettably, despite our relentless efforts and multiple follow-ups over the past 40 days, the Indian archery team is still facing significant challenges in securing a US visa appointment due to unforeseen system issues,” AAI said on Instagram.
“We had a bitter experience with US visas in 2015 also and hence approached the visa office well in advance,” AAI assistant secretary Gunjan Abrol told TOI on Saturday. “We have no idea what the problem was as they cited technical issues behind this,” he added.
However, AAI is still hopeful that visas will be issued on Monday, and the archers can leave for Florida on that night itself. “We can only hope that they get the clearance and make it in time for the competition,” Abrol said.
The Indian team’s medal chances will take a serious hit if stranded compound world champion Aditi Swami and Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara fail to join the squad in Florida. “We didn’t really know what happened. But it’s sad and very disturbing before a big event like the World Cup,” Olympian Atanu Das told TOI on Saturday. In case the six stranded archers fail to reach Florida, India will not be able to field a compound women’s team as Jyothi Surekha Vennam will then remain the country’s sole representative in the category.
Those still awaiting visas:
Archers: Dhiraj Bommadevara, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, Taniparthi Chikitha, Aditi Swami, Anshika Kumari and Uday Kamboj.
Support staff: Sonam Tshring Bhutia, Jiwanjot Singh Teja, Snober Rupal.
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