TEHRAN–Head of the Iranian Track and Field Federation Hashem Siami has said that the United States has refused to issue visas for Iranian track and field athletes for the World Championships so that they have failed to attend the competitions.
Siami said that Mehdi Pirjahan, an Iranian athlete that was going to take part in the event, and two other managers of the Iranian team had gone to the U.S. embassy in Armenia and did all the necessary measures to take the U.S. visa but the embassy did not issue visas for them.
He said that Ehsan Haddadi, another Iranian athlete who had taken the U.S. visa before, denied to attend in the event in solidarity with his compatriots.
And also, Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala said Thursday he will miss the World Athletics Championships in the United States because of a delay in securing a visa.
The Kenyan sprinter had been hoping to shine in the 100m at the championships that open on Friday in Eugene, Oregon.
“I have given up my trip to Oregon. Even if I am given a visa today it’s too late,” a bitterly disappointed Omanyala said.
He had been due to compete in the 100m heats on Friday, but lost a race against time to secure his U.S. visa and travel to Oregona trip of about 24 hours or more.
“It would mean booking flights which can only be possible at night and the race is on tomorrow. It’s not possible,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do. It’s been my longest day of waiting and I don’t like waiting.”
The Kenyan teams had been due to leave for the United States in two batches on Monday and Tuesday, but several members including Omanyala did not yet receive visas.
There was no immediate comment from Athletics Kenya, and the reasons for the visa hitch are not known.
Championship organizers Oregon22 and World Athletics had said that they were working to follow up on visa applications “the majority of which have been successfully resolved”.
Omanyala is the third-quickest man in the world this season behind Americans Fred Kerley and Trayvon Bromell, clocking 9.85 seconds in May.