The tournament organisers, the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), had received entries from Pakistan in both men’s and women’s events but their participation was always under doubt owing to visa issues.

“The government of India has not granted visa to the Pakistani team yet and I don’t think they will do that under the circumstances,” TTFI secretary general Dhanraj Choudhary told IANS. He was referring to the tense relations between the two countries, that have deteriorated with the death of India’s Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan.