Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, a bronze medalist at the World Championships, will be able to compete at the Grand Prix of Spain 2024 in Madrid after receiving her Schengen visa on Wednesday. The wrestler’s flight was scheduled for Wednesday night, but she was yet to receive her visa. Facing this hurdle, Phogat sought urgent help from Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the Ministry of External Affairs, expressing her concerns on social media platform ‘X’.
In a tweet, she wrote: “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 visa. Requesting @mansukhmandviya @BangaloreFrance @MEABharat to help.”
Fortunately, within three hours, Phogat received her visa and shared her gratitude on ‘X’. “I have just now received my Schengen visa. I would like to sincerely thank all the authorities who have helped me get the visa so quickly. Means a lot. Thank you @mansukhmandviya @BangaloreFrance @MEABharat @DGSAI, TOPS and MOC team,” she tweeted.
Following her participation in the Grand Prix of Spain 2024, Phogat will travel to France for a 20-day training camp as she gears up for the Paris Olympics. This timely intervention ensures that Phogat can now focus on her performance at the competition in Spain and continue her training towards her ultimate goal: the Paris Olympics.
