Wrestlers apply for Italy visa for Roma Beach Wrestling World Series

KARACHI: After having failed to get Schengen visas, national wrestlers have now submitted applications for securing Italy visas in order to ensure their participation in the Roma Beach Wrestling World Series to be held in Italy from September 3-4.

As obtaining Schengen visas has become very difficult due to Covid, Italian visa will help beach wrestling king Mohammad Inam, Youth Olympics bronze medallist Inayatullah and Zaman Anwar to feature in the Beach Wrestling World Series to be held in Italy on September 3 and 4.

The three wrestlers and one official will then have to get Greece visas for which they have already applied. In Greece they are to feature in the Beach Wrestling World Series on September 10 and 11.

If Inam, also world beaching wrestling champion, is able to make it to the final of the Beach Wrestling World Series to be held in Constanta, Romania, on September 25 and 26, then he will return to Pakistan after playing the Greece event and secure Romania visa.

“Because of issues in the way of securing Schengen visas, we decided to at least get the Italy visa to secure a medal in the World Series in Italy,” Mohammad Inam told ‘The News’. “We have been helped by the IPC Minister Dr Fehmida Mirza and DG PSB Col (retd) Asif Zaman. It is because of their efforts that we at least will be able to get Italy visas to ensure our participation in the Italy’s World Series,” he added.

Because of the visa issue, Inam missed the first World Beach Wrestling Series held in France on July 16 and 17.