Sri Lanka’s Women Boxers Stranded After Serbia Visa Denial

A six-member squad of Sri Lanka’s women boxers, accompanied by three officials, was set to arrive in Serbia in time for the Sport Entry Check and Official Draw on March 8. However, despite extensive efforts by the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) to secure the necessary approvals, the team was ultimately unable to board their scheduled flight and had to return home on Monday.

A key challenge in the visa process stemmed from the absence of a Serbian embassy in Sri Lanka, requiring all applications to be processed through the Serbian Mission in New Delhi, India. This added a significant logistical hurdle, with BASL scrambling to arrange the necessary documentation in time.

An official claimed that BASL had been working for nearly a month to secure visas, but the financial burden further complicated matters. The association needed approximately Rs. 8 million for travel and accommodation costs. Despite appeals to the Ministry of Sports and several other institutions, no financial support was provided.

“We made a tremendous effort to ensure that six Sri Lankan athletes could participate in this tournament. Despite requesting financial assistance from multiple entities, we did not receive any support,” an official from BASL stated.

As a result, boxers and officials had to contribute Rs. 85,000 each from their own pockets for visa applications. However, a week before the event, the International Boxing Association (IBA) agreed to sponsor air tickets, while the Serbian Boxing Association offered free accommodation for the Sri Lankan contingent.

In a final attempt to secure visas, BASL officials Abdullah Ibnu and Dr. K.A.P. Kiriella travelled to New Delhi to expedite the process. However, they faced an unexpected setback.

“Our officials spent three days in India trying to secure the visas, but despite their best efforts, they were unsuccessful,” the official explained.

With less than 48 hours remaining before departure, they were told to reapply online, making it practically impossible to obtain visas in time.

“The failure to obtain visas was not due to any fault of the Sri Lanka Boxing Association or its officials but rather the difficulty in securing them. It is regrettable that this is being misrepresented as a failure on our part,” the official added.

While BASL defended its efforts, some officials and former administrators criticised the handling of the situation, citing a lack of strategic planning and financial foresight.

“If they were struggling to find funds, they should not have selected a six-member squad,” a former BASL official remarked, pointing out that Sri Lanka has rarely sent big numbers to world championships.

He further questioned the rationale behind participation itself: “Sri Lanka does not stand a dog’s chance of winning a medal at the world championship. In the past, we sent only one or two boxers as token representatives. This was merely a participation effort.”

Some critics also highlighted the lack of internationally ranked women boxers in the country, arguing that sponsors would naturally hesitate to invest in a team that had little chance of making an impact on the global stage.

“Sri Lanka does not have a world-ranked boxer like badminton star Buwaneka Gunathilaka. How can they expect sponsors to support them when they are approached at the last minute, especially given the current economic situation?” a former official questioned.

He added that expecting last-minute financial support from either the Sports Ministry or corporate sponsors was unrealistic, especially without a long-term development plan. “It is asking too much when there is no proper strategy in place,” he said.

The bottom line is failure to travel has left the boxers disheartened. While BASL exhausted all possible avenues to ensure participation, the combination of financial constraints and visa complications proved insurmountable.

Also See: Sri Lanka Faces Heavy Defeat In Galle Amid Controversial Selections

The Sri Lanka contingent selected for the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship comprised boxers Nadeeka Pushpakumari (45-48kg), Sachini Fernando (48-50kg), Sanduni Priyadarshani (50-52kg), Nishadi Malshani (52-54kg), Keshani Hansika (54-57kg), Sajeewani Cooray (57-60kg); Group Captain Buddhika Nissanka (Manager), Amila Aravinda Tissera (coach) and Kanishka Samarakoon (coach).

With Sri Lanka’s boxing scene making strides on the international stage, this missed opportunity underscores the urgent need for better logistical planning, institutional support, and financial backing to ensure such setbacks do not occur in the future. 

This news is sourced from Daily Mirror and is intended for informational purposes only.