Tokyo Olympics: Vinesh Phogat misses her connecting flight to Tokyo due to overstaying her European Union visa by a day

Tokyo Olympics: Vinesh Phogat misses her connecting flight to Tokyo due to overstaying her European Union visa by a day

Vinesh Phogat

On Tuesday, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat missed her flight to Tokyo from Frankfurt for overstaying her European Union visa by a day.

The reigning Asian Games champion is India’s biggest medal hope at the Tokyo Olympics. Her campaign in Japan will begin on 5th August. The 26-year-old is the top seed and is looked upon as a gold medal contender in her 53kg weight category.

The change in her weight category has worked and she has been dominating the circuit so far. Phogat is tactically a superior wrestler and if she doesn’t concede points in her counter-attack, she looks well on her way to creating history at the Tokyo Olympics.

She has also expressed for a physio’s accreditation at the Games.

“Vinesh Phogat will be in Tokyo tomorrow,”

Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh Phogat

Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday missed her connecting flight to Tokyo from Frankfurt for overstaying her European Union visa by a day.

The World Championships bronze medallist was training in Hungary with coach Woller Akos ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and was expected to reach Tokyo by Tuesday night. However, the wrestler was stopped at the Frankfurt Airport before boarding her connecting flight to Tokyo. According to PTI, it was discovered that she had overstayed her European Union visa by a day.

“It was an oversight and something not done on purpose. Instead of 90 days as per her Schengen visa, it was calculated that she had been in the EU for 91 days after she landed in Frankfurt from Budapest,” an IOA official was quoted as saying by PTI.

Fortunately, the Indian consulate in Frankfurt reached the airport to sort out the matter and the Commonwealth champion will be in Tokyo tomorrow. “The matter was taken up by SAI swiftly and the Indian consulate in Frankfurt reached the airport to sort out the matter. Vinesh will be in Tokyo tomorrow,” the official added.

Vinesh Phogat will be staying in a hotel in the Frankfurt Airport premises for the night and will leave for Tokyo.

Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: “5 Years Back, I Wasn’t Even Sure Whether I Would be Able to Get on the Mat Again,” Vinesh Phogat