Long jump ace Anju Bobby George is still waiting for her 'visa formalities' to be completed.
India's best bet for a medal at the Athens Olympics said on Friday the delay in procuring a visa could keep her out of the Italian Grand Prix, slated for June 4.
The Kerala-born, Chennai-based athlete, who could not participate in an event in The Netherlands on May 31 for similar reasons, said visa requirements pertaining to her travel to different countries to participate in build-up events to the Olympics are "yet to be sorted out".
"While the US visa is expected this week, that of the UK may come early next week," she said.
Once she leaves India, which is likely on Tuesday night or Wednesday, she plans to return to India only after the Olympics.
If the Anju is unable to complete all the visa requirements now she will have to return to India to get her passport stamped for visits to other countries she plans to travel to, an exercise she wants to avoid.
The 27-year-old star, the first Indian athlete to win a medal (bronze) at the World Championships, had originally planned to start off the second phase of her Olympic preparations by participating in the Hengelo event in The Netherlands, the European season's first Grand Prix meet.
Now that it is off her list, she is also likely to skip the Turin meet, in Italy on June 4, a Grand Prix II event.
Her first stop now is likely to be the Super Grand Prix meet at Ostrava in the Czech Republic on June 8.
Her husband-coach Bobby George said Anju will make Paris her training base in the run-up to the Olympics, during which she is hoping to take part in six to eight Grand Prix and Super Grand Prix meets.
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