After Kashmiri snowshoer, Tanveer Hussain was recently denied a visa to the US for an international winter-sports event, he has advised Donald Trump to not mix up sports with religion or politics.
“I don’t know whether Donald Trump’s policy is really anti-Muslim or not but what I could infer from denial of my visa due to the ‘current policy’ is that religion and politics came in the way of my dreams,” the athlete told InUth.
Hussain and his manager Abid Khan, both residents of Srinagar, were scheduled to attend World Snowshoe Championships 2017 in New York from February 24 & 25. But the duo was denied visa due to the ‘current policy’.
“The lady who interviewed us at the US embassy couldn’t find any fault in our documents but said that could not issue us a visa due to their current policy’,” Hussain said.
It was supposed to be his second participation in the international snowshoe event. “Last year the venue was Italy where I represented my country and bagged 31st position. Having learnt from the previous international exposure, I was hoping to perform much better this time but I’ve lost the opportunity.”
But amid all this chaos, Hussain is still optimistic. “I will keep practising and participate next year and bring laurels for India.”
However, the athlete who works with J&K Bank regrets to have lost some 400 dollars as processing charges for the visa. “I had paid the charges from my pocket and now the money is gone,” Hussain said.
But then the sportsman quickly added that money can be managed even through beg, borrow or steal. “Money I often manage for my passion for sports but my only point is that why to discriminate in sports over religion or politics?”
