Wrestling Federation of India chief slams US Embassy over visa denials

Sanjay Singh, president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), has criticized the US Embassy after nine Indian wrestlers were denied visas for the 2026 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas. The denials affected athletes in the Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling categories. According to Singh, the visas were rejected because the athletes were under 20 years of age and lacked full-time employment.

Singh stated that this is an unprecedented occurrence in the tournament's history and claimed the decision deprived India of potential gold medals, noting that at least two of the denied wrestlers were strong contenders. He mentioned that the president of United World Wrestling (UWW) had also contacted the embassy regarding the matter.

Despite the setback, Indian wrestler Vishvajit More became the country’s first-ever Greco-Roman finalist at the U23 World Championships. More reached the 55kg final after defeating competitors from Mexico, Iran, and Russia.