Pakistani cyclists to compete in Asian meet after getting visas

Seven members of the Pakistan Cycling team will be participating at the Asian Elite and Junior Cycling Championships after getting their visas issued by the Indian embassy in Islamabad.

"Our squad including five cyclists and two officials left via Wagah border yesterday for the championships," Secretary-General of the Pakistan Cycling Federation Moazzam Khan Khair told PTI.

He said only one official of the PCF who was to accompany the delegation had not been issued a visa. "The good thing is the rest of our applications were all accepted and processed," he said.

The championships got underway on Saturday in New Delhi with five Pakistani cyclists set to take part in events from June 19.

The Asian meet, an Olymic qualifier, is the first major cycling event after the pandemic and a lot of ranking points will be up for grabs during the event. Khair feels there is a need to set up a mechanism where visa applications from Pakistani athletes and officials invited for regional or International sporting events to India can be fast-tracked.

There have been instances in the past where Pakistani athletes have not been issued visas on various grounds for international events in India due to the tense political and diplomatic relations between the two countries.