http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap-us-iran&prov=ap&type=lgns It would be a wonderful thing if badminton is the spark for renewed international relations between US and Iran.
^^Thanks for the link..^^ ..aahh, looks like Pres. BO's administration is really broadening the interest of badminton in the U.S. There was another minor news that the U.S. govt. would sponsor the MD pair of Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach (yes, they are back together as a pair and will be competing this yr), should they reach at least the top 20 MD ranking in the world. On that note, looking fw to the Iranian National players visiting the U.S., come July, for the U.S. Open.
Good stuff. Hope something good will come out of this. BWF should hop on the bandwagon at once and start to promote world peace with badminton.
Masculinity could be violate? Meh. i hope for the best. I also wonder if Tony Gunawun and Howard Bach can make it to the top 20? this would be an awesome day. BO? i think we should stick to Obama....
Hmm.. ..they've been doing this sort of stuff before (in 2007 with the Wrestling team). ..YES jymbalaya CAN, TOO!!.. Obama, Barry Obama, BO, No Shock Barack, No Drama Obama, Obama-rama, Mr. Yes We Can....sure, why not..
^^I wonder though..^^ ..if the U.S. ladies will need to wear burqas, long skirts/abayas or veils to cover their bodies, while they play..I remember in one of the World Championships tourneys, there were some women players who wore those... *cooler, in Malaya/Indonesian language, the word "Candu" means an "addict" or "opium"..
Oh, here.. ..burqas being worn during the 2006 WC..From the Iranian team.. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36290
the US team will not be playing in Iran. Looks like Iran did not have time to process the visas. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29010526/
Yepp.. http://arabia.ndtv.com:80/Story.aspx?pageheader=news&sub_category=&ID=NEWEN20090082589 One can wonder why US was so late with applying for visas?!? Why do it from dubai and not from US ?? I think US has rather strict policies for VISA control etc (after 9/11), so not being in time when applying for other countries visa seems a bit ignorant, from an outside perspective... Kind of a setback for "badminton-diplomacy" /Twobeer
Well..this info that I got.... US Badminton got invitation from Iran Badminton in a short period of time..about a month US applied the visa and Iran Badminton did everything they could...I had been told that they needed pick up visa in Dubai ( I did not know how it works)...so it was not about being in time....
strange I have never heard about a situation where a visa could not be issued at the embassy/consulate in the country of origin of the traveler.. Sounds "fishy".. But US-Iran relationships are not my main area of expertise /Twobeer
There's no Iranian Embassy in the United States. Iranian affairs in the US are handled by Pakistan. Similarly, there's no US Embassy in Iran. US affairs in Iran are handled by Switzerland. The US and Iran ceased mutual diplomatic relations in 1980. So, to visit Iran, US nationals must apply for a visa at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, DC. ---------------- PS: In New Yok, Iran maintains a permanent mission to the UN. But that mission does not and may not handle consular affairs.
So why go to Dubai, why not go through the "normal" procedures trough the pakistanian embassyi Washington?!? I am confused /Twobeer P.S. The simple reason may be the great shopping in Dubai D.S.