The Spanish Embassy in Moscow denied visas for Abkhaz futsal players who intended to play in an international tournament to take place outside Barcelona in early April, Rafael Ampar, the chairman of the Abkhaz State Committee for Youth and Sports Affairs, told journalists. An annual tournament called Cup of Nations is to take place near Barcelona from March 30 to April 6, and Team Abkhazia was to play in this tournament for the first time, Ampar said. "The very fact of invitation to these competitions is a great success for Abkhaz futsal players, but the stubbornness of European offices and ethnic discrimination deprives the Abkhaz athletes of the opportunity to take part in these European level competitions," Ampar said.
The Abkhaz futsal players having Russian citizenship applied for visas to the Spanish Embassy in Moscow on March 18 but received the documents back with a denial on March 27, he said.
The Abkhaz delegation was to include 18 people, 14 of them being players, plus the coach, two people representing the team's general sponsor, one parliamentarian, and one official from the Abkhaz Football Federation, he said.
The Abkhaz Foreign Ministry said it intended to compile a database of visa denials to Abkhaz citizens to take measures to protect interests of its citizens.
The tournament mentioned in the article: I Copa de les Nacions de futsal
The tournament mentioned in the article: I Copa de les Nacions de futsal
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