Visa issue prevents Harshika Vishvakarma from boarding Cardiff plane

Chhindwara-based women's team striker, Harshika Vishvakarma will not be part of the Cardiff-bound team after technical issues with her visa application surfaced

India's men and women Slum Soccer teams will leave for Cardiff (Wales) today to compete in the 17th edition of the Homeless World Cup (July 27 to August 3).

However, Chhindwara-based women's team striker, Harshika Vishvakarma will not be part of the Cardiff-bound team after technical issues with her visa application surfaced. "I had applied for a visa when I came to Mumbai one month ago. Somehow there was no stamp on my visa papers. Our team will leave for Cardiff tomorrow, but I will not be able to go with them as I had to reapply for the visa. I am nervous, but I hope to get it quickly," Vishvakarma, 17, who scored 18 goals during six selection games, told mid-day yesterday.

The players of the Indian men and women teams that will be participating in the Homeless World Cup in Cardiff, Wales with Amruta Fadnavis, patron of Slum Soccer during an event in the city yesterday. Pics/ Atul Kamble

Amruta Fadnavis (wife of Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis), who is the patron of Slum Soccer, is confident of sorting Vishvakarma's visa problem.

"There is some stamping error and that will be resolved tomorrow. We are all behind her," Fadnavis told mid-day at the Mumbai Press Club yesterday.

Currently, India's men's and women's team are ranked 25 and nine respectively on the world stage. The Homeless World Cup is an annual football tournament organised by Homeless World Cup Foundation, which advocates the end of homelessness through football.

Indian teams

Men: Ravi (AP), Soram GS (Manipur), Satish Kumar (Karnataka), Alan Solaman (Kerala), Amritpal Singh (Punjab), Thomas Mayjo (Kerala), Aravind (Tamil Nadu).

Coach: Homkant Surandase (Maharashtra).

Women: Harshika Vishvakarma (MP), Muskan Sindhi (Gujarat), Ravina Suryavanshi (Maharashtra), Sapna Jaiswar (Maharashtra), Sheetal Sahu (Maharashtra), Shubhangi Bhandare (Maharatra), Sushila Chanu (Manipur), Sujata Rai (WB).

Coach: Andy Hook (Scotland).

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