Gama Pehelwan’s kin denied visa for Asian wrestling

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 13

While the 12-member Pakistan delegation finally got the clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), there will be one wrestler who will not travel to India for the Asian Junior Wrestling Championships.

Haroon Abid, who traces his ancestry to the great Gama Pehelwan, will not be part of the Pakistan delegation that will travel to New Delhi for the July 17-23 tournament.

His visa has not been furnished as he was to travel to India from Japan, where he is currently training under former Japanese great Antonio Inoki. Abid was to take part in the 97kg category but will not reach New Delhi by Monday. Abid is from Gama Pehelwan’s younger brother Imam Baksh’s side of the family. 

Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) secretary general Muhammad Arshad Sattar told The Tribune that Abid was the only one denied permission to travel to India. “Abid is from Gama Pehelwan’s family. The family has come back to wrestling after a long gap and he is training in Japan these days. He is a great prospect for us,” Sattar said. “The Indian embassy has promised us to give the valid papers by Monday. So, I think we will be there latest by Monday,” he added.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said PWF sent them an e-mail requesting help in Abid’s travels but no valid details were sent. The WFI also clarified that the Japanese team too wanted to get the visa done for Abid and that may have gone against the Pakistan wrestler.