In a setback for the Pakistan Scrabble team, the Indian High Commission has denied most of the players’ visa applications, preventing the defending champions from participating in the Asia Cup Youth Scrabble Championship and the Delhi Cup in India.
Tariq Perez, Director of the Pakistan Scrabble Association (PSA), told APP that despite applying two months in advance, the team faced delays in the processing of their visas, with some players receiving their approvals too late to attend. Shockingly, half of the team, including past winners from 2022, were denied visas without any explanation.
As reigning World Youth Champions and defending Asian Youth titleholders, the absence of the Pakistani team is a major blow to the competition. Perez expressed disappointment, revealing that the team had traveled to Lahore in anticipation of receiving their visas but would now return to Karachi empty-handed.
The Pakistan Scrabble Association condemned the Indian High Commission’s actions, calling it a failure to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship. The move also took the tournament organizers by surprise, as they had secured the necessary approvals and had assured the Pakistani players that their visas would be processed.
In light of the visa rejection, the Pakistan team will now focus on future international competitions, hoping for a more favorable outcome. The team’s recent success includes 16-year-old Affan Salman’s victory at the 19th World Youth Scrabble Championship in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan also won the team trophy. This achievement follows a historic win in 2022 when Affan’s brother, Ali Salman, also claimed the World Youth title, making them the first siblings to achieve this feat.
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