LAHORE: Pakistani footballers may get Indian visa for SAFF today . The Pakistani football team is eagerly awaiting the issuance of their visas today (Monday) to travel to India for their participation in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru from June 21 to July 4.
When asked about the visa updates for the Pakistan team, Shaji Parbharkaram, the Secretary General of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), responded via WhatsApp, stating, “It will be done tomorrow.”
The AIFF is working diligently to facilitate the visas for the Pakistani team, marking their first visit to India in nine years.
According to sources familiar with the situation, officials from the Pakistan team were prepared to visit India’s High Commission in Mauritius to collect their passports on Sunday. However, they were advised by the PFF Normalisation Committee to wait as the AIFF was making efforts to manage the visas for the Pakistan team.
Although the Pakistan team was scheduled to fly to India on Sunday at 11:30 am, they were unable to do so due to the pending visa issuance.
The team management informed the Mauritius football authorities that they anticipated receiving their Indian visas on Monday (today), and the authorities have been accommodating.
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Currently, the Pakistan team is staying in the same hotel where they were accommodated during the four-nation football event, which concluded on Saturday. Djibouti emerged as the champions of the tournament after defeating Pakistan 3-1 in the final game.
According to team sources, if the team does not receive visas on Monday, Pakistan may have to arrange for their further stay in Mauritius at their own expense.
“We cannot express the mental agony we have been experiencing for the past three days,” a team source expressed.
“Everyone is concerned about whether we will obtain the visas or not,” the source added.
“The players were highly enthusiastic about the SAFF Cup, but the visa issues have caused them significant distress,” the source further explained.
Sources revealed that if the visas are further delayed and Pakistan moves to India on Tuesday or early Wednesday, it will be extremely challenging for the Green Shirts to play their first game against India on June 21.
“If we arrive in India on June 21 or the night before, the organizers should consider rescheduling our match against India,” a source requested.