After more than a year’s hard work President Michael has received notice from the Indian Shuffleboard Founder and President, Mr. Yogendra Patil, to the effect that the two shufflers who were to come to St Petersburg, were both denied travel visas to the USA to participate in our World Championship.
Apparently the USA State Dept. is taking unusual precautions with so much terrorist activity around the world and now the ISA is caught up in this. An Inaugural to India just may be one way to assist in the establishment of Shuffleboard in the nation of India.
Here is Michael’s e-mail to President Yogendra of India: Yogendra,
I am sorry to hear this; the entire shuffleboard community regrets that you have been unable to obtain visas. Please cancel your hotel reservation by internet and they will not charge you anything. I will ask the ISA Treasurer to send your advance tournament payment back to you by bank transfer. Please send me the bank name, account number and ABA wire transfer code. The bank will tell you this code.
Apparently the USA is still taking unusual precautions because of terrorist activity around the world and unfortunately you are being affected by this.
Of course I will make a formal complaint to the USA State Dept. on your behalf. To do this I will need the information about your two visits to get Visas.
Perhaps it will be somewhat easier for you to get visas to visit Midland, Ontario Canada next August 2014 for the 33rd World Championship. I highly suggest you make a formal written observation to the Indian Sports Commission about the lack of success you had in dealing with the US Embassy in India.
In conclusion, let’s talk seriously about you hosting an Indian Shuffleboard Inaugural in 2014 in India and begin to think about attending the Midland, Ontario Event in August of 2014.
I am willing to work toward arranging 50 or so of the top players in the world from many nations to come with me to India to make a great shuffleboard performance for you. Such an event would attract the media and undoubtedly be positive in nature.
Please let me have your reaction to the idea of an Inaugural to India.
Warmest wishes, Prof. Michael Robert Zellner, ISA President