Khan and Hussain were to participate in the World Snowshoe Championship, New York.

An Indian sportsperson, Tanvir Hussain, and his manager, Abid Hussain Khan, were denied US visas on Tuesday. They were scheduled to participate in an international snowshoe championship to be held in New York.

The US embassy in New Delhi turned away the two on account of “current policy” refusing to entertain any further questions. Both are Kashmiri Muslims.

The 24-year-old Tanveer Hussain was selected to represent India in one of the “snow shoe-running” world championships to be held in New York on 25th February. He had an invitation from the World Snowshoe Federation for the event being held at Saranac Lake.

“I represented India last year in the same championship in Italy. I do not think there should be any problem with providing visas to sportspersons,” Hussain told The Indian Express.

“I was interviewed by US Embassy officials for over six minutes before they turned down my application,” The Hindu quoted Hussain. “The officials did not elaborate on the ‘current policy.”

Hussain’s manager, Abid Khan, was also denied a visa.

“My preparations were on full swing. My camp was set up in Gulmarg. I had put in a lot of effort practicing on the snow. My documents were complete, with letter from the world federation, and letter from the Mayor of the venue where the event was to be conducted, which they mailed to the embassy,” Hussain said.

India is not among the seven nations whose citizens are barred from entering the United States under President Donald Trump’s new immigration policy.

Trump signed the executive policy last week to suspend refugee arrivals and also announced a 90-day visa suspension for individuals from Muslim-majority countries such as Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.