Finally, two snowshoers from Valley get US visas

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 19

Kashmir valley’s snowshoers will be seen in action in the 2017 World Snowshoe Championship in New York as the US embassy has finally approved their visas.

Two snowshoers — Abid Khan and Tanveer Hussain — were denied US visas amid the row over President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration to the country. Now, they will take part in the international event at Saranac Lake, New York, on February 24 and 25 after getting the green signal from the embassy.

“We got the visas after applying for the second time. We will be leaving for the US on February 22 and we are at present training hard at Jawahar Lal Nehru International Stadium,” said Hussain over the phone from New Delhi.

Hussain, who works with J&K Bank, said they were confident of doing well in the international championship.

“We also trained hard at Gulmarg as the resort received heavy snowfall this winter. Even though I have performed in several snowshoe championships, including one in Italy last year, it is my cherished dream to participate in the world championship that is being held in the US later this month. We will give our best shot at the event,” he said.

Snowshoe Federation of India president Muddasir Mir Nazir said the visas were finally issued after the intervention of the New York mayor besides two US senators. While snowshoeing is popular in western countries, the state authorities want to promote the sport in a big way here too.