August 14, 2002	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Saani 4, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Aug 13: Pakistan looks set to be unrepresented at next month’s US Open Squash tournament after two Pakistani champions were denied entry visas to the United States, one of the players said Tuesday.

World ranked number 20, Mansour Zaman, 22, and Mohammad Ilyas, 23, who is ranked 70, said they were refused a visa to play in the competition begining Sept 10 as both had failed to follow the correct application procedures.

“I was told by the US embassy that on technical grounds they could not issue me with a visa and that I should reapply following the correct procedure,” Zaman told AFP.

But the national champion denied the embassy’s assertion, adding that his absence from the tournament would see him fall in the world rankings.

He said the US embassy had also earlier denied a visa for his brother Mannawar, preventing him from competing in another tournament in the United States in January this year.

Zaman said the players were ambassadors for Pakistan and were extremely disappointed with the decision.

The Pakistan Squash Federation has taken up the issue with US officials, federation vice president Qamar Zaman told AFP.

“This is a ridiculous decision and we will fight it through the World Squash Federation,”he said.