The world pétanque championship begins this Thursday in Dijon. The Comoros team, although qualified, will not be able to participate. France refused their visa request.
In Dijon, the world pétanque championship begins this Thursday, December 5 without the Comorian delegation. France refused visas to the Comorian bowlers, although they had qualified thanks to their fifth place in the general classification last year during the world championships in Benin. According to the Al Watwan newspaper, the French embassy justified this refusal by “reasonable doubts about their willingness to leave the territory when their visas expire”. This scenario has already arisen. Between 2015 and 2016, around a hundred Comorian athletes disappeared into thin air after competitions in Reunion. This was still the case at the beginning of September, four Comorian footballers disappeared into thin air after training courses in France.
Unless the situation is urgently resolved, the Comoros pétanque team will have to withdraw. She who had already missed the African championships this year due to lack of funds to travel to Morocco. This time, the government had provided funds to pay for their accommodation costs. In the Gazette des Comoros, an agent from the Ministry of Sports wonders why the ministry did not vouch for the athletes.
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