Foreign players facing visa problems for Pro-Kabaddi League

Bengaluru: City franchise, Bengaluru Bulls owner Uday Sinh Wala today on Thursday that foreign players are facing problems in acquiring visa for their participation in the Pro-Kabaddi League (PKL).

However, Wala hoped that the external affairs ministry would give visa permission to foreign players by next week, if everything falls into place.

"We are facing visa problem. We are waiting for the external affairs ministry to give visa permissions .... Let us say if everything goes well inside one week we will have them here," Wala, CEO of Kosmik Global Media, told PTI on the sidelines of the official launch of Bengaluru Bulls here.

Wala said the teams are facing the visa problems because the auction for new players got over just 45 days back.

There are three foreign players including Sinotharan Kanesharajah from Sri Lanka, who a raider.

"Personally, I want them to be in India as early as possible. Then they can blend and bond with the team. Personally, I have hopes on Sino but then we need him to bond with us. Earlier he comes it is better for us," Wala said.

Despite the visa problem, the foreign players of Bengaluru Bulls are undergoing the training regimen as prescribed by the team coach and the physio in their respective countries, Wala said.

"Despite that (Visa problem), the foreign players have been training to our regimen already. Our coach and our physios have already briefed them of what they have to be doing individually there," he said.

Wala also said the team management have been talking to them via phone, emails and through the media skype, so that when they land in India they need not be pushed for making them tournament ready.

"We have been talking to them regularly both on phone, email, skype so and so forth. Hopefully, when they land here we don't have to push them into readiness," he said.

PKL, which is backed by the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), the Asian Kabaddi Federation (AKF) and the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), will feature eight teams from the country who will vie for the title.

The tournament will travel to cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur, Patna, Vizag, Pune and will culminate with a final in Bangalore on August 31.