NEW DELHI: The 10-member Indian junior boxing team has pulled out of the World Youth Championship in Montenegro due to logistical issues arising from the conflict in West Asia.According to sources, the boxers could not secure their stamped passports from the authorities in time, which led to them not appearing at the World Boxing (WB) event in Budva from March 3 to 11.
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Since Montenegro does not have an embassy in India, the BFI processed visas through the Montenegrin embassy in the UAE, it was learnt. “According to the visa procedure, physical presentation of the passport was required for stamping and all passports, including those of the five boys and five girls who were part of the team, were sent to the UAE. In previous cases, the stamped passports were usually returned within two to three days,” the source said.“However, due to the sudden political developments in the Middle East, the passports – although already visa-stamped – could not be sent back to India in time. As a result, the 10-member Indian youth contingent could not travel to Montenegro for the tournament. The BFI remained in constant contact with the Montenegrin authorities and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA),” the source added.It was found that the passports were submitted for visa stamping on February 20 and the flight tickets were kept on standby. “The visa was confirmed via email,” the source said.
