Warning that international federations could lose confidence in India’s claim of being a reliable sporting destination, the International Volleyball Association (FIVB) claimed that many athletes who recently competed in a Pro Tour event in Bhubaneswar were ‘denied visas’.
In a letter to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha dated March 18, also marked to the Sports Ministry, the world body also recommended escalating the issue with the government as it is ‘critical’ to ‘provide assurances’ for visiting athletes that Indian visas can be obtained in a ‘timeline and professional manner’. The FIVB did not specify the nationalities of the participants who faced visa problems.
An IOA official said they replied to the FIVB letter on Friday, requesting relevant documents and contracts. “We need to study the visa issue properly and understand the reasons for the problems they allegedly faced. We are in contact with the federation for this,” the official said.
Steve Tutton, the FIVB General Sports Director, also sought Usha’s intervention in recovering outstanding dues of $335,000 (approx Rs 3.13 crore) from the Indian organisers of the two Pro Tour events held in Goa (2023) and Chennai (2024).
“Despite repeated follow-ups, reminders, and commitments made by the organisers, the outstanding hosting and licence fees for these events – amounting to $335,000 USD – remain unpaid to date,” Tutton wrote in the letter, a copy of which is in possession with The Indian Express.
The FIVB had entered into an agreement with Chennai-based Marina Beach Sports Club to organise the two events. In his letter, Tutton said the FIVB has sent ‘multiple communications over the past several months’ to former India international and Arjuna Awardee Ravikanth Reddy and veteran coach-cum-adminstrator, Martin Sudhakar.
Responding to the FIVB’s allegations, Reddy said the situation has arisen due to governance issues within the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI). “I am in constant dialogue with PT Usha’s office to solve the issue and settle the dues of the two tournaments. I am confident that the issue will be resolved amicably,” Reddy told this paper.
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Visa snags
The FIVB further claimed that ‘many of the participants’ who travelled to Bhubaneswar earlier this month for the 2026 Beach Pro Tour event were denied visas despite multiple applications. In the earlier events, the athletes applied for tourist visas on the advice of the organisers.
“As you are aware, for the 2026 Beach Pro Tour event in Bhubaneswar many of these participants were recently denied visas despite multiple applications and the associated extra cost because they had applied for the incorrect visa in previous years, thereby restricting their access and opportunities to compete,” Tutton wrote. “This further undermines the reputation of India for hosting major events in the future.”
“Given the seriousness of these matters, we kindly request the support of the Indian Olympic Association in addressing this issue with the concerned parties and, if appropriate, escalating it to the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,” Tutton added in his communique.
He added that ‘for the long-term roadmap to develop India’s National Teams and for hosting international events in India, providing assurances to the visiting international volleyball community that visas can be obtained in a timely and professional manner is critical.’
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The International Olympic Committee has sanctioned India in the past for rejecting visas of international athletes for tournaments held in the country.
Tutton also underlined India’s aggressive pursuit of international events as a part of its bid for the 2036 Olympics. These incidents, he warned, could erode the confidence of international federations in the country’s ability to host tournaments.
“While India is increasingly positioning itself as a host of major international sporting events, situations such as this risk undermining the confidence of international federations, stakeholders, and partners in working with local promoters,” Tutton wrote.
