Indian archery team psychologist stranded in Delhi, awaits visa clearance for Paris 2024 Olympics: Reports
After head coach Baek Woong Ki was denied accreditation to the Paris Olympics 2024 by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Indian archery contingent faced a new hurdle as team psychologist Gayatri Madkekar was left stranded in Delhi, waiting for the clearance of her travel visa to France.
According to a news report from The Times of India, the six-person archery contingent reached Paris on Sunday while Madkekar was left behind because of issues with her visa.
As per the TOI’s sources, Madkekar was informed by the French embassy in New Delhi that her biometric data was not accessible to the Paris 2024 Local Organising Committee (LOC). The embassy assured her that when the Committee confirmed the embassy, her visa application for Paris would be approved.
Sports psychologist Madkekar reportedly submitted her biometric data for the Paris Olympics 2024 during her visit to Istanbul with the archery team for the World Archery Olympic qualifiers, Archery Association of India (AAI) officials told TOI.
India in touch with authorities to clear Indian archery team psychologist's Paris Olympics 2024 travel
As the Indian archery team is set to start its Olympic journey on July 25 – one day before the opening ceremony – the Indian authorities are in constant touch with the French embassy as well as officials from IOA to get Madkekar’s visa application approved.
The AAI will be mindful to avoid any controversy after the recent fiasco involving its Korean coach Baek Woong Ki, who was allegedly denied Olympic accreditation and sent home from France.
While the AAI denied any wrongdoing on its part, Baek Woong told the media that he was removed from the archery team at a crucial point of the Paris Olympics 2024 preparations.
“I was removed from the Olympic coaching role and my flight schedule told me to return home,” he said (via Economic Times).
The Indian archery contingent would hope to go ahead with their first match on July 25 without any further controversy and with their entire support staff in France.