Indian Boxers Miss Youth World Cup Because Of Passport Delay Amidst West Asia Conflict

Last Updated:March 08, 2026, 09:42 IST

Indian boxing team, including Gunjan and Chandrika, withdrew from Youth World Cup in Montenegro because of passport delays amidst Middle East conflict.

The Indian boxing contingent, comprising 10 athletes, was forced to withdraw from the ongoing Youth World Cup in Montenegro due to passport delay amidst conflict in the Middle East.

As per a report in The Times of India, the boxers couldn’t receive their stamped passports from the authorities in time, leading to their absence from the World Boxing-sanctioned event in Budva, which started on Tuesday.

Since Montenegro doesn’t have an embassy in India, the Boxing Federation of India processed the visas through the Montenegro embassy in the United Arab Emirates, the report said.

“As per the visa procedure, physical passport submission was required for stamping and all passports, including those of five boys and five girls who were part of the squad, were sent to the UAE," a source said while speaking to The Times of India. 

“In previous instances, the stamped passports were usually returned within two-three days. However, due to sudden political developments in the Middle East, the passports, despite already having the visas stamped, couldn’t be dispatched back to India in time," the source added.

As per the report, the passports were submitted for visa stamping on February 20, while flight tickets were kept on standby.

“As a result, the 10-member Indian youth contingent was unable to travel to Montenegro for the tournament. The BFI remained in constant touch with the Montenegro authorities as well as the Ministry of External Affairs," the source said.

“Visas were confirmed through an email," the source added.

With the World Cup now out of the equation, India’s U19 boxing squad featuring Gunjan, Chandrika, Joyshree Devi, Radhamani, Prachi, Ambekar Meetei, Udham Singh, Sahil, Aman and Priyansh will now play at the World Boxing Futures Cup, which begins on Sunday, March 8, in Bangkok.

News sports other-sports Indian Boxers Miss Youth World Cup Because Of Passport Delay Amidst West Asia Conflict

Read More