MR Arjun faces passport hurdle ahead of tournament in Iran

Indian shuttler MR Arjun, selected for the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2025, has faced a passport issue ahead of the Iran Fajr International Challenge in Iran. 

Arjun's passport is stuck with the Chinese Embassy in India as he has applied for a visa to participate in the Badminton Asia Team Championships, scheduled for February 11–16 in Qingdao, China.

The doubles specialist, who is part of the 14-member Indian team, took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight his predicament.

“I am MR Arjun, an international badminton player selected to represent India at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship 2025 in Qingdao, China. I submitted my passport for a Chinese visa at the VFS office in Delhi on 24th January,” he wrote, tagging Xu Feihong, Chinese Ambassador to India, and Yu Jing, Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India.

Arjun is set to compete at the 33rd Iran Fajr International Challenge, starting on January 28, marking his first tournament of 2025. However, with the tournament set to begin soon, he has not yet received his passport back, creating an obstacle in her effort to compete at the tournament. 

“I have to leave for Iran on Tuesday, 28th January, to compete in an International Challenge tournament and urgently need my passport with the visa by Monday, 27th January. I request you to please expedite the process so I can proudly represent India at both events,” he added.

Arjun competes in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles. He pairs with Dhruv Kapila in men’s doubles and Adya Variyath in mixed doubles.