WFI Chief Sanjay Singh Furious Over Visa Rejection for 9 Wrestlers Ahead of World U-23 Championship
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India’s medal ambitions at the 2026 Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, USA, have suffered a devastating blow after the United States Embassy rejected the visa applications of nine elite Indian wrestlers. Reacting with intense outrage to the diplomatic hurdle, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh laid the blame for India's lost podium sweeps squarely on consular officials in New Delhi. The federation chief revealed that consular authorities denied travel permits to prime title contenders on bizarre grounds, citing the athletes' age as being under 20 years and labeling them "unemployed," despite formal representations from national and international sports governing bodies.
Unprecedented Diplomatic Blockade: WFI Chief Alleges Direct Loss of World Championship Golds
The mass visa refusals have triggered sharp backlash across the national sporting fraternity:
Bizarre Ground of 'Unemployment': Speaking to news agency IANS, WFI President Sanjay Singh expressed disbelief over the rationale given by the US consular section, pointing out that calling teenage national athletes "unemployed" to deny competition visas is an unprecedented decision in sports history.
Direct Loss of Top Podium Finishes: Singh stated that the diplomatic barrier completely scuttled India's gold medal prospects, emphasizing that at least two of the nine barred athletes were top seeds and frontrunners to claim World Championship gold in their respective weight brackets.
UWW Intervention Ignored: The WFI president revealed that the international governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW), took active note of the crisis, with its global president directly writing an official letter to the US Embassy to facilitate clearance, yet the appeal was overlooked.
Mixed Squad Fate: Freestyle Team Cleared While Greco-Roman and Women Grapplers Suffer
The consular bottleneck hit specific segments of the Indian contingent, completely disrupting roster balance:
Men's Freestyle Cleared Completely: In a stark administrative contrast, all 10 selected wrestlers of the Indian men's freestyle contingent received their US visas without friction, permitting them to travel to Las Vegas.
Severe Blow to Women and Greco-Roman Categories: The visa rejections landed heavily across the Greco-Roman division and the women’s wrestling roster, leaving nine qualified athletes stranded in India and forfeiting their bouts due to non-appearance.
Tournament Timeline: The prestigious championships opened with Greco-Roman bouts running from October 12 to 14, followed by women's wrestling scheduled across October 14 to 16, and concluding with the men's freestyle segment between October 16 and 18.
Historic Silver Lining: Vishwajeet More Creates History in Las Vegas
Despite the administrative heartbreak that halved the national squad, Indian wrestling witnessed a historic breakthrough on the mat:
Pioneering Final Appearance: In the 55 kg Greco-Roman division, dynamic Indian wrestler Vishwajeet More defied the odds to storm into the World Championship final.
First for Indian Wrestling: By securing his berth in the gold medal match, More became the first-ever Indian wrestler to reach a Greco-Roman final at the prestigious Under-23 World Championship level, providing a proud moment for the country amid the broader visa dispute.
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