Blind chess team in immigration row

MUMBAI, July 16: The Indian blind chess team almost landed in jail for breach of immigration rules in Prague (Czechoslovakia), where they were prevented from boarding the Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt on their way back to India, coach Sajandas Joshi said on arrival here today.

The six-member Indian team sponsored by the Aditya Vikram Birla memorial trust, reached Prague airport on July 13 to catch their flight back home. But the Czech immigration officials prevented them and pointed out that they did not have the transit visa for Germany. Manager Satam and coach Sajandas Joshi tried to reason with them that the team had reached Prague via the same route and nobody had raised any objection then.

The Indian embassy in Prague. according to Joshi were very sympathetic but expressed their inability to help. Joshi then took a bold decision to request the German immigration at Frankfurt airport through the airport manager at Prague. Finally after half an hour of pleading from Joshi, the airport manager agreedto talk with the Germans and the Indians got a clearance.