Iranian Wushu Team Excluded from World Championships as US Denies Visas

The Iranian national team faces exclusion from the World Wushu Championships due to the United States' failure to issue visas.

Amir Sadeghi, the head of the Wushu Federation, expressed deep disappointment, stating, "Unfortunately, the visa request for the entire Iranian delegation was left unanswered." The Iranian team was poised to compete in the World Championship scheduled in Texas, USA, from November 15.

Sadeghi emphasized the contradiction to the spirit of sportsmanship, saying, "Once again, contrary to the principles of fair play, the US did not issue visas in a timely manner for the Iranian national team."

Highlighting Iran's proactive approach, Sadeghi mentioned, "According to the organizing committee, Iran was the first country to initiate the visa issuance process. We started the necessary procedures in April, presented ourselves at the US Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia, in mid-May – an unusual four months before the competition – for interviews and document submission."

In July, The US State Department also refused the visas for the latest round of the Volleyball Nations League in California, while a long list of officials accompanying the team in the US were granted the visas. The visit sparked controversy in Tehran, where the Iranian public are funding bureaucrats' travel at the expense of key athletes.