Afghanistan Taekwondo Team Barred from Asian Championships Due to Indonesian Visa Denial
The Afghanistan Taekwondo Federation has announced that the country’s national team was prevented from participating in the 2026 Asian Taekwondo Open Championships due to Indonesia’s refusal to issue visas. The competition was part of the preparation program ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.
According to the federation, despite receiving an official invitation and completing all administrative procedures, the host country declined to issue visas to the national team members without providing any clear explanation.
The Taekwondo Federation emphasized that this exclusion is not merely the loss of a competitive event but also disrupts the technical progress and readiness of athletes who had trained for months to take part in it.
According to the original plan, Afghan national athletes were supposed to participate in the Indonesia Open and the Pakistan Presidential Cup before the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, to improve their positions in the global and Asian rankings. However, the cancellation of these events has posed a serious challenge for the team ahead of the Asian Games.
The Taekwondo Federation has also called on the World Taekwondo Federation and the Asian Taekwondo Union to scrutinize more carefully the ability of countries hosting international events to guarantee legal, easy, and timely entry for all teams, ensuring equal rights for athletes without discrimination.
