NEW DELHI: Twenty four members of the Indian badminton contingent, led by two-time U-19 All India ranking champion Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda – the youngest shuttler from the country to win a BWF World Tour title – are having sleepless nights after the US embassy in New Delhi refused to issue visas for the BWF World junior championships, scheduled to be held in Spokane from September 25 to October 8.
It’s been learnt that the embassy officials have told the Badminton Association of India (BAI) that there are no slots available for the Indian team to appear for visa interviews and biometrics until Feb 2024. The visa fee has already been deposited by BAI and the team is scheduled to fly out to Spokane on September 20.