A host of Bangladeshi wrestlers' hopes of participating in a year-long training camp in India was thrown into doubt after the wrestlers were not granted Indian visas, said officials of the Bangladesh Wrestling Federation (BWF) yesterday.

The federation selected a total of 17 male wrestlers for the long-term camp after the Indian Wrestling Federation (IWF) had agreed to provide training facilities to them under high performance coaches apart from food, accommodation, local transport and medical support during the training camp in Uttar Pradesh.

The BWF had submitted the visa applications for those wrestlers in the first week of March, but the Indian High Commission here returned all the passports without issuing the visas.

Federation's joint secretary Mezbaul Haq Azad said the visa authority didn't provide any reason as to why the visas were denied.

“We submitted all relevant documents including request letters of youth and sports ministry, federation and government order with the passports for seeking visa,” Azad said. “Bangladesh Olympic Association also requested Indian High Commission to give visas. But we really don't know why the players didn't get the visas.”

Federation secretary Tabiur Rahman Pahlwan said he would meet with the officials of the high commission today to ask for reasons behind the visas being denied.