Sneha Waykar and Teammates face Visa delays just a day before the World Chessboxing Championship
Twelve Indian athletes, including Chessboxing Champion Sneha Waykar, were selected to represent India at the World Chessboxing Championship in Serbia, which starts tomorrow. But they are facing a major hurdle just a day before the tournament. Their visa applications are still “under process.” They have received no response from the authorities. After training for months to compete at such a major event, they are unsure if they will get the chance to represent India. See what the exact issue is.
A major hurdle just a day before the tournament
The World Chessboxing Championship is scheduled to be held in Serbia from 23rd to 29th September 2025, which is tomorrow. For this event, 12 athletes from India have been selected to compete. Among them is the Indian Chessboxing Champion Sneha Waykar. But just a day before the tournament, Sneha and her fellow athletes are facing a major obstacle: their visas have still not been processed.
Sneha Waykar has been a trailblazer in Chessboxing in India. Last year, she became the first female Indian Chessboxing Champion, and she has consistently represented India at national and international competitions. In 2023, she became the Indian and Asian Chessboxing Champion. ChessBoxing is a combination of two very different yet similar sports, chess and boxing. It is very popular in Europe and Russia, and Sneha has played a big role in popularizing the sport in India.
The athletes applied for Serbian short-stay (C type) visas on 2nd September 2025, which typically take 10–15 days for processing. Despite repeated follow-ups, their applications are still marked as “under process.” They have received no response from Serbian authorities.
This situation is even more confusing because Sneha’s coach, who applied on the very same date, has already received his visa. But it’s unfortunate that the players have not received their visas, and especially concerning the fact that there has been no response from the authorities.
Both the championship organizers and the Indian Chessboxing Federation have tried to reach out to Serbian authorities to explain the urgency, but unfortunately, they too have received no response. Considering that this is a World Championship, it’s concerning that athletes who have trained for months are now left in such uncertainty.
Sneha shared the emotional impact of the situation:
It is extremely disheartening that, despite being ready and motivated to represent India at such a prestigious international event, we are left stranded in uncertainty. We had prepared to give our best, to compete against players from across the world, and to bring medals home for our country — but due to visa delays, our participation now hangs in doubt.
The organizers have shown understanding and offered some flexibility. They have allowed the Indian athletes to arrive slightly later, that is, by Wednesday, due to the visa delays, but this is only possible if the visas are processed immediately. Stamping is done in New Delhi, and the players would still need to travel from Mumbai to collect them.
We hope the necessary approvals come through without further delay, so our athletes will not miss out on the chance to represent India at the World Chessboxing Championship.
Important links
Sneha becomes the National and Asian ChessBoxing Champion 2023
Sneha wins the Cultural Olympiad in Paris in 2024
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Sneha Waykar clinches the title in Cultural Olympiad - IFC 6 Chessboxing fight
@ 17/10/2024 by Tina Popli (en) |
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Sneha Waykar - National and Asian ChessBoxing champion 2023
@ 14/08/2023 by Sneha Tiwari (en) |