VISA HITCH HITS TANZANIA, GHANA AND DR CONGO
The three countries might be forced to pull out from Women’s World Boxing Championships in Nis, Serbia from March 8-16.
Officials of Ghana, Tanzania and DR Congo have expressed their disappointment on the slow pace of visa issuance by the Serbian Embassies.
This has forced the DR Congo government to reprimand the Serbian Embassy in Kinshasa to speed up the process.
Africa flyweight champion Nyembo Gisele is one of the DR Congo boxers entered for the tournament.
Ghana Boxing Federation Vice-President Daudi Fuseni is not amused at all.
“We are applying from Accra, Ghana. We were told by the organizers that all visas were approved but the consulate keeps on saying they need to get the notification from Belgrade in their system but have not seen it,” Fuseni told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview from Accra.
He went on: “My question is, how difficult is it when a visa is already approved and just needs to be sent to the appropriate consulate for issuance?
“I personally inquired from the organizers and they told me that all visas for the participating countries were approved so I don’t think the issue of late submission comes in anymore.”
He wondered why the Serbian Embassy is dragging the issuance yet they have been notified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) to give priority to countries taking part in Women’s Worlds.
“I believe there are times when you need to treat certain issues special and I think this world championships is not an exception.”
Boxing Federation of Tanzania President Lukelo Willilo spent the whole day on Friday, March 7, communicating with Serbian government officials in Belgrade on their issuance of their visas at the the Serbian Embassy in Nairobi. Serbia does not have an Embassy in Tanzania.
“It’s very interesting visas are being approved in Belgrade, they told us we wait for the approval so we’re wondering what’s the use of the Embassy in Nairobi if they have no authority to issue visas,” said Willilo who is now thinking on plan B to make it to Nis on time.
He added: “What will we tell our boxers after training so hard then they’re informed they’re not going, we’re hoping for the best all is not lost.”
Among the Tanzanian boxers travelling are Zulfa Macho and Halima Vunjabei.
