Pakistan on Tuesday accused the World Squash Federation of delaying visa request supporting letters for Pakistani players which it claimed was the reason why they were unable to obtain visas to go to Belgium which is currently hosting the World Junior Championship.

But in his reply, Andrew Shelley, WSF’s CEO, told Arab News on Wednesday that the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) itself blundered in dealing with the issue of getting Belgian visas for its junior players.

According to Shelley, PSF officials were not even able to differentiate between the World Junior Championship, which is under progress in Belgium, and the World Men’s Team Championships to be held in Germany next month.

“WSF ordinarily supplies visa request supporting letters to our member federations on the day that the request is received,” said Shelley.

“For the World Men’s World Junior Individual in Belgium, unfortunately the Pakistan Federation directed a visa request to the organizers of the Men’s World Teams in Germany (to be played in Germany in August) on 24 June. “Then on June 29 when we were copied in on a follow up note from PSF we enquired whether they perhaps meant the individual in Belgium and sent the visa support letters that same day (copying in the Belgian consulate in Islamabad too).

“The Belgian Federation did likewise, although they had a problem with their e-mails bouncing back that was resolved shortly afterwards when PSF supplied an alternative address.

“Unfortunately, there is a long lead time needed for visa applications in many instances and the time was too short for this submission, which was very unfortunate as it would have been great to have welcomed these potential medalists to this world championship,” he said.

Pakistan would have provided the two 3/4 seeds had they been playing in the event. Danish Atlas Khan and Nasir Iqbal, both 17-year-olds from Peshawar, were supposed to lead Pakistan’s title campaign in Belgium.

Danish, who won the Asian junior title recently, was Pakistan’s prime hope for the title in the World Junior Championship being played at the Flemish Squash Center in Herentals (Belgium) from 13-17 July.

“It is very sad for the players concerned. They have spent years building up to the pinnacle of their junior career, and with Khan and Iqbal seeded in the top four, were poised to medal for themselves and Pakistan. We feel sorry for them," said Shelley.

While the WSF believes it’s PSF’s fault that Pakistan are out of the World Junior Championship, the PSF doesn’t agree.

On Tuesday, Irfan Asghar, the PSF secretary, told Arab News that a delay by WSF in sending visa letters to Pakistan was the prime reason why the Belgian Embassy in Islamabad refused to issue visas to Pakistani players.

“We had selected our team for the World Junior Championships on May 30 but in spite of our repeated reminders, we only received visa letters from them on June 30. By then it was too late and finally we were told that our players would get visas to play in Belgium,” he claimed.

“We don’t know why they didn’t send us the letters earlier,” he said.