Pakistan’s shooters were on Monday granted visas to participate in the New Delhi World Cup, ending speculation about their presence in the event in the wake of the Pulwama attack where 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported.
The International Shooting Sport Federation event, which will offer 16 quota places for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, starts at the Karni Singh Range on Thursday.
“Their visa has been cleared and we have received communication from the Indian High Commission and the Pakistan shooting federation,” National Rifle Association of India secretary Rajiv Bhatia said. “The two shooters and the manager’s tickets will be booked,” he added.
The terrorist attack had cast a doubt over Pakistan shooters’ participation in the World Cup, with the country’s federation saying in Karachi that it would not send its players if the visas weren’t issued on Monday.
The Indian government had given clearance for the applications, but that was before last Thursday. Pakistan applied for visas for two shooters in the rapid fire category – GM Bashir and Khalil Ahmed – for the World Cup.
Pakistan’s National Rifle Shooting Federation President Razi Ahmed had earlier said that the secretary of NRAI had assured him that visas would be granted since the Indian home ministry has given its clearance.
He added that air tickets had been booked and No Objection Certificates obtained for taking the ammunition to New Delhi for use in the championship.