Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya: World Championship medallist wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Wednesday received a Schengen visa for Spain for training and competition in Madrid after seeking "urgent help" from Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of External Affairs and other authorities as the process got delayed.
Vinesh, who will be competing at the Grand Prix of Spain 2024 in Madrid, has her flight scheduled for tonight (Wednesday night) but did not get her visa till Wednesday morning. But the wrestler from Haryana can now proceed to Madrid where she will have a one-week training stint before taking part in the Grand Prix of Spain. Vinesh will then travel to France ahead of the Olympic Games.
Taking to X, Vinesh requested the authorities concerned to oversee the matter. She tagged the Ministry of External Affairs along with the Sports Minister and the Consulate General of France in Bangalore in her post.
"Dear authorities, I'm requesting for urgent help. I applied for my Schengen visa in Bangalore on 24th June. I have to leave tonight for a competition in Spain on 6th July but have no information on my visa. Requesting @mansukhmandviya @BangaloreFrance @MEABharat to help," she posted on X.
A few hours later, Vinesh Phogat took to social media again to inform that she got the Schengen visa and thanked them for their support.
"Dear authorities, I'm requesting for urgent help. I applied for my Schengen visa in Bangalore on 24th June. I have to leave tonight for a competition in Spain on 6th July but have no information on my visa. Requesting @mansukhmandviya @BangaloreFrance @MEABharat to help," she posted on X.
The competition in Madrid, Spain is scheduled from July 5 to 7 with the women's event slated to take place on July 6. She will then attend a training camp in Boulogne sur-Mer, France, before the Paris Olympic Games.