The Australian High Commission in Islamabad has refused to grant visas to Pakistani wrestlers preparing to participate in the upcoming commonwealth championship, officials said.
The championship is scheduled to be held from August 5 in Melbourne. Pakistani wrestlers and team officials were disappointed at the refusal and said it was unfair to deny visas just before the event, reported Xinhua on Wednesday.
The Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) had applied for nine visas. PWF chose seven players to feature in the Greco-Roman and freestyle events, for which the wrestlers have been preparing at a training camp here. Pakistan’s young wrestler Mohammad Usman, who was to compete in the 120-kg category, said that it was a worst moment of his life when he came to know that they would not be able to participate in the tournament due to visas. “It’s a blow for us because we had prepared well and were confident to grab some medals for the country. But now everything has finished,” said Usman.