The 19-year old boxer will not be able to participate in India for the second time after she was denied visa during the World Youth Boxing Championships. (Image @NOCKOSOVO via Twitter)
The 19-year old boxer will not be able to participate in India for the second time after she was denied visa during the World Youth Boxing Championships. (Image @NOCKOSOVO via Twitter) 
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Collateral Damage? Here’s How Not Recognising Kosovo Can Hurt India’s Chances Of Hosting International Sporting Events

BySwarajya Staff

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is reportedly about to ask its associate bodies not to assign international events to countries which are unable to ensure participation of sportspersons from all the nationalities that it recognises.

Times of India reports a threat of losing holding rights of international events unless India can accommodate the participation of Kosovo boxer Donjeta Sadiku in the upcoming AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.

It will be the second time in a year, that the 19-year old boxer will not be able to participate in India after she was denied visa during the World Youth Boxing Championships held in Guwahati in last December. Even though the IOA recognises Kosovo, India is among the countries which don’t accept its sovereignty.

The boxer also holds an Albanian passport and had to apply for a visa at the Indian embassy in Serbia, but all the three applications - Sadiku and her two coaches are yet to be approved.

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has communicated its helplessness in the situation. “We have raised the issue with the Ministry of External Affairs and the final decision to hand visa to Sadiku rests with them. I don’t think the matter is restricted to a boxing tournament. It is a global issue because so many nations along with India don’t recognise Kosovo. The IOC will have to resolve this issue with all member nations. Just blacklisting India is not the answer,” BFI president Ajay Singh said on Tuesday (13 November).

Sports secretary Rahul Bhatnagar acknowledged the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) concerns with the MEA saying, “We did get a letter from IOA secretary Rajiv Mehta, but the MEA hasn’t given any response on the matter. It is a diplomatic issue, and sports ministry can’t interfere in the matter”.

Denial of visa to the young Kosovan boxer can create much greater problems for India, especially if it hopes to bid for other top international events like the upcoming 2026 World Youth Olympics, the 2030 Asian Games and the 2032 Olympics.