AhlulBayt News Agency: The United Kingdom’s refusal to issue a visa has prevented 11-year-old Iranian table tennis prodigy Yasin Shoari from attending the ITTF Hopes Programme in Sheffield, England.
The ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge began today and will continue for three days. Shoari was one of only three Asian players invited to participate.
Shoari was scheduled to travel to the UK on Wednesday with his coach, Mohsen Shishehgarha, but their trip was canceled due to the visa denial by British authorities.
He had earned his place by winning the Asian Hopes competition held in Laos two months ago, securing nine consecutive victories. In the semi-final, he defeated a Malaysian player, and in the final, he triumphed over a Japanese opponent to claim the title.
This incident mirrors previous cases where the UK denied visas to Iranian athletes. In 2022, members of Iran’s Taekwondo team were barred from entering the UK to compete in the World Taekwondo Grand Prix III in Manchester.
The ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge is the final stage of the ITTF Hopes Programme for players under 12, gathering top young talents selected through national and continental qualifiers.
The 2025 edition features 20 boys and 20 girls born in 2013 or later, who will undergo intensive training, attend coaching workshops, and compete in the final “Challenge” matches over the last two days.
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01:32 - 2025/10/20
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