Visa Hurdles Cleared for Indian Athletes Heading to Asian Championships

The Indian athletes set for the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea have overcome visa complications and are now scheduled to reach the host country on time, as confirmed by a top official of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday.

A 59-member team was announced, excluding Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, who is concentrating on the Diamond League Meetings and World Championships in September. Secretary General Sandeep Mehta revealed that visas were secured due to efforts from the Sports Ministry and the South Korean Embassy.

The athletes are expected to acclimatize with two to three days' grace before competition and aim for 25 to 30 medals. In a previous edition, India secured 27 medals, ranking third. The AFI has also entered men's and women's relay teams aiming for World Championships qualification.

(With inputs from agencies.)