Indian bowls team hopeful of making it to Sydney

Published>Sat, Jun 12 10 08:22 PM

New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) The Indian lawn bowls team, which was denied visas by the Australian High Commission, is still hopeful of making it to Sydney for a practice session ahead of the October 2-14 Commonwealth Games.

Lawn Bowls Federation of India president Sunaina Kumari said Saturday that the external affairs and sports ministries have sprung into action after the team was denied visas and clearance is expected by Monday.

'We submitted all the letters needed from the government, the federation and the IOA. They then asked for the bank statements of the players. Most of our players are from Jharkhand and are from humble backgrounds. The people at the Australian High Commission said their bank balances are insufficient and they cannot be issued visas. And we were surprised. We were like 'What are your intentions'?' Sunaina Kumari told IANS.

'Our coach (Richard Gale), who is an Australian, was also furious. We had taken him along to push our case but the people at the high commission remained defiant. He was absolutely shocked.

'Our teams before have gone to Malaysia and China. The team even has been gone for the World Cup in Australia and they faced no such issues.

'Now, with the sports ministry and the external affairs ministry rallying round, everything should hopefully be sorted out by Monday,' Sunaina Kumari said.

The bowls team, aged 14-54, were invited to play at the St Johns Park Bowling Club in western Sydney and were scheduled to arrive there Saturday.

'Four times they've changed their date,' the bowls manager at the club, Paul Girdler was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald. 'They were going to be here for a month, playing every day against the state and even the Australian team.'

Girdler said there was nothing dubious about the team. 'They are a new lawn bowling country, he said. 'India is an untapped area in the game.'

The Australian bowls team is considered as the world's best and is among eight nations competing in the Commonwealth Games.

Australia has been in the news for all the wrong reasons after several recent attacks on Indian students in Melbourne and Sydney.

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