British Pakistani Netball Team’s International Hopes Crushed by Visa Delays

The international competitive aspirations of a netball team comprising young British Pakistani women have been thwarted. The Cosmopolitan Roses Netball Academy, based in Maidenhead, had diligently prepared for the upcoming Asian Netball Championship in Bangalore. However, due to visa processing delays attributed to the Indian government, the team is unable to travel to the Indian city for the competition. Sadia Hussain, a co-founder of the team, conveyed that the women were “really disappointed” by their inability to participate. She added, “We wouldn’t like to lose this investment that we’ve put into the girls for their training.” The team reported that they have not received an explanation for the delay in their visas. For several months, the athletes have been training on a weekly basis, with some members commuting from as far as Scotland to join the Berkshire-based club. Leya Shah, 20, expressed her dismay, stating it was disheartening “considering how much effort and training we did into this”. She also noted that they have “built a sisterhood together as a team”. Sumayya Safdar, a 15-year-old teammate, echoed this sentiment, remarking: “We’ve had really long training camps and to find out we’re not going is heartbreaking.” Comprising British-Asian women aged 15 to 23, the team is self-funded and commenced playing last year. The academy’s establishment aimed to address the under-representation of British-Asian girls in competitive netball. Consequently, the request for the Cosmopolitan Roses to constitute a new Pakistan Netball Team and compete internationally presented a significant opportunity. Safeeyah Akbar, 18, described her involvement with the Cosmopolitan Roses as the “best experience” she had ever had. Sarina Hussain, 16, another team member, characterized playing with the club as a “blessing” because it allowed her to forge connections with others. Haleema Safdar, 16, stated that participating in a club such as the Cosmopolitan Roses held significant meaning for her, given that netball is typically perceived as a “white middle-class sport”. She further explained that during her upbringing, she lacked role models in the sport who shared her background, and she expressed hope that her team could serve as inspirations for other South Asian or Muslim girls. England Netball has since recognized the team, presenting them with the One award for their contributions to enhancing diversity within the sport. The women informed the BBC that their applications mandated them to declare their Pakistani heritage and use Pakistani passports, a requirement they suspect is the cause of the delay. The BBC has reached out to the Indian Bureau for Immigration and the High Commission of India regarding the delay but has not yet received a reply. Historically, relations between the two nations have led to the visa application process for individuals of Pakistani heritage seeking to travel to India often involving multiple verification steps, which can result in extended processing times. Despite this setback, the team has not abandoned their aspirations, with hopes of participating in the Asian Netball Youth Championships next year in South Korea. Haleema expressed that she would be “so excited to finally be able to represent Pakistan”. Readers can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Further information on our approach to external linking is available.