Pakistan not given clearance for Commonwealth TT

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS):

Pakistan team has not been given clearance yet and is unlikely to participate in the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships beginning at the Thyagaraj Stadium here Sunday.

The tournament organisers, the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), had received entries from Pakistan in both men’s and women’s events but their participation was always under doubt owing to visa issues.

“The government of India has not granted visa to the Pakistani team yet and I don’t think they will do that under the circumstances,” TTFI secretary general Dhanraj Choudhary told IANS. He was referring to the tense relations between the two countries, that have deteriorated with the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan.

Regarding the presence of other teams in the competition, the TTFI confirmed that players from 14 countries will take part in the men’s category while 13 countries will fight it out in the women’s section.