Bangladesh’s top golfer Siddikur Rahman is in a bind over his participation in the International Series in Oman due to his visa not being issued for the Gulf nation.
The two-time Asian Tour winner, who is currently in Malaysia to compete in the IRS Prima Malaysian Open, the first tournament of the season, starting on February 15, expressed his frustration over the visa issue in a phone call with the Daily Star.
For all the latest news, follow the Daily Star’s Google News channel. Siddikur applied twice for an Oman visa in Dhaka through the Asian Tour but did not receive any response from the embassy, he informed. The $2 million international series in Oman will begin on February 22.
“It’s really frustrating for me,” Siddikur said. “I booked my tickets for February 18. If I don’t get the visa, I will lose $4,000, which is not a small amount. Plus, I will miss out on an opportunity to participate in an important event.”
It is worth mentioning that Oman suspended the issuance of new visas for Bangladeshis in all categories at the end of October.
Siddikur, however, said this was not the first time he had faced such problems. His hotel bookings and flight tickets for a tournament in Qatar last year had been confirmed, but his entry visa to the kingdom was eventually denied.
“I have been facing visa issues throughout my golfing career. It is very complicated for me to go from embassy to embassy to get a visa, given the busy schedule of international golf. The latest issue is very frustrating for me because participating in a tournament involves a lot of preparation – physical, mental and financial. I am not an ordinary citizen as I am representing the country all over the world,” Siddikur said, urging the Bangladesh authorities to take steps so that he can participate in the International Series in Oman.
