Tehran, SANA- The United States has refused to issue visas for Iranian track and field athletes for the World Championships so that they have failed to attend the competitions, according to the head of the Iranian Track and Field Federation.
Hashem Siami said on Thursday that Mehdi Pirjahan, an Iranian athlete that was going to take part in the event, and two other managers of the Iranian team had gone to the US embassy in Armenia and did all the necessary measures to take the US visa but the embassy did not issue visas for them.
He said that Ehsan Haddadi, another Iranian athlete who had taken the US visa before, denied to attend in the event in solidarity with his compatriots.
A lot of athletes from cross world havent get visa for the championship
Africa’s fastest man gets US visa less than 24 hours to world race
Before setting athletics on fire for the next 10 days, some of the best athletes in the world had to run in American embassies around the world. This, after several track and field stars, including Indians, complained of visa delays to travel to the Athletics World Championship, which kicks off on Friday, leading many current and former stars to suggest the competition is likely to dilute.
The matter was brought to the fore Thursday after it emerged that Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, will not travel to Eugene, considered the spiritual home of American athletics, for the World Championships after he failed to get a visa to travel.
Omanyala has become the greatest victim on the eve of the worlds. The Kenyan sprinter announced his forced retirement in a statement via his spokesperson, saying he has already set his sights on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games later this month and next year’s world championships in Budapest.
“Unfortunately I will not participate in this year’s world championships in Oregon. I didn’t get my visa in time for the trip, “Omanyala said from Reuters.” It’s tough for me too because we worked hard and also trained through pain, but as I always say, positivity, everything happens for a reason. . We will redeem ourselves at the Budapest World Cup next year. We also have the Commonwealth Games coming up in two weeks. Thanks for your support and prayers. “
Omanyala, who set the African men’s 100m record after setting a time of 9.77 seconds, may be the biggest name to retire from world championships so far, but he’s not the only one.
Athletes from at least half a dozen countries, including India, have had difficulty obtaining visas to travel to the World Championships, prompting former Olympic and world gold medalist Michael Johnson to label the situation as “ridiculous. “.
“I am hearing from many athletes unable to enter the United States due to visa problems. I am sure we will discover the extent of this problem in the coming days. But if that’s true… DAMN! ”Johnson tweeted. He later commented,“ This is ridiculous! the organizing committee failed to do so? “
The athletics legend’s second tweet was in response to the plight of another great athlete who looks set to lose the world championships, Marie-Josee Ta Lou. The Ivory Coast sprinter, who finished third in the Diamond League match in Paris last month, vented her frustration at being unable to obtain a visa on Wednesday, calling it “really frustrating”.
“As an athlete you work hard to qualify for the world champion only to have a visa problem and 1- not being able to travel; 2-I was able to travel and reach the same day as your race, “he tweeted.” How did they do it unless the athlete behaved well? This is really frustrating. “
Indian 200m runner Dhanalakshmi Sekar, who posted a personal best time of 22.89 seconds in Kazakhstan last month, was faced with moments of anxiety as triple jumper Eldhose Paul also did not receive a visa until the start of this week.
South African Gift Leotleta, who reached the 100m semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics last year, told IOL Sport on Wednesday that he and nine other South African sprinters were stranded in Italy because they had not received visas in the United States.
Jamaican 400m runner Gregory Prince faced visa delays before boarding a flight to the United States as his compatriot Chad Wright, Olympic discus finalist, hopes to get visa on Friday to compete in his event. Sunday, according to the Jamaica Observer.
Hashem Siami said on Thursday that Mehdi Pirjahan, an Iranian athlete that was going to take part in the event, and two other managers of the Iranian team had gone to the US embassy in Armenia and did all the necessary measures to take the US visa but the embassy did not issue visas for them.
He said that Ehsan Haddadi, another Iranian athlete who had taken the US visa before, denied to attend in the event in solidarity with his compatriots.
A lot of athletes from cross world havent get visa for the championship
Africa’s fastest man gets US visa less than 24 hours to world race
Before setting athletics on fire for the next 10 days, some of the best athletes in the world had to run in American embassies around the world. This, after several track and field stars, including Indians, complained of visa delays to travel to the Athletics World Championship, which kicks off on Friday, leading many current and former stars to suggest the competition is likely to dilute.
The matter was brought to the fore Thursday after it emerged that Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, will not travel to Eugene, considered the spiritual home of American athletics, for the World Championships after he failed to get a visa to travel.
Omanyala has become the greatest victim on the eve of the worlds. The Kenyan sprinter announced his forced retirement in a statement via his spokesperson, saying he has already set his sights on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games later this month and next year’s world championships in Budapest.
“Unfortunately I will not participate in this year’s world championships in Oregon. I didn’t get my visa in time for the trip, “Omanyala said from Reuters.” It’s tough for me too because we worked hard and also trained through pain, but as I always say, positivity, everything happens for a reason. . We will redeem ourselves at the Budapest World Cup next year. We also have the Commonwealth Games coming up in two weeks. Thanks for your support and prayers. “
Omanyala, who set the African men’s 100m record after setting a time of 9.77 seconds, may be the biggest name to retire from world championships so far, but he’s not the only one.
Athletes from at least half a dozen countries, including India, have had difficulty obtaining visas to travel to the World Championships, prompting former Olympic and world gold medalist Michael Johnson to label the situation as “ridiculous. “.
“I am hearing from many athletes unable to enter the United States due to visa problems. I am sure we will discover the extent of this problem in the coming days. But if that’s true… DAMN! ”Johnson tweeted. He later commented,“ This is ridiculous! the organizing committee failed to do so? “
The athletics legend’s second tweet was in response to the plight of another great athlete who looks set to lose the world championships, Marie-Josee Ta Lou. The Ivory Coast sprinter, who finished third in the Diamond League match in Paris last month, vented her frustration at being unable to obtain a visa on Wednesday, calling it “really frustrating”.
“As an athlete you work hard to qualify for the world champion only to have a visa problem and 1- not being able to travel; 2-I was able to travel and reach the same day as your race, “he tweeted.” How did they do it unless the athlete behaved well? This is really frustrating. “
Indian 200m runner Dhanalakshmi Sekar, who posted a personal best time of 22.89 seconds in Kazakhstan last month, was faced with moments of anxiety as triple jumper Eldhose Paul also did not receive a visa until the start of this week.
South African Gift Leotleta, who reached the 100m semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics last year, told IOL Sport on Wednesday that he and nine other South African sprinters were stranded in Italy because they had not received visas in the United States.
Jamaican 400m runner Gregory Prince faced visa delays before boarding a flight to the United States as his compatriot Chad Wright, Olympic discus finalist, hopes to get visa on Friday to compete in his event. Sunday, according to the Jamaica Observer.
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