Asian Poker Tour (APT) Taipei is all set to begin in the next couple of days, and players across the circuit are clearly excited about the series. And why not? It’s not every day that you get to play a Main Event with a $1 Million guarantee in the Asian circuit. However, in an unfortunate event, Indian poker player and streamer Aniruddha Joshi was denied a Taiwanese visa when he was travelling to the country for APT Taipei 2023.
The Taipei edition is one of the biggest-ever editions hosted by APT. Hence, it was extensively marketed by offering FREE sponsored trips to Taiwan through online satellites and contests. Joshi won a similar satellite and received a sponsored trip to APT Taipei 2023.
However, to his disappointment, when he arrived at Delhi airport to fly to Taipei earlier today, the Pune-based player was denied the visa citing the reason that he was travelling to play poker. Hence, they can not accept his visa application. He was also told that if he still wished to apply, it would be rejected anyways.
The young poker player shared the entire incident on his Instagram stories. He also mentioned that had he applied for a tourist visa; it would have been approved. “I understand people consider the game gambling, but rejecting visas when I’ve won a sponsored trip to APT?” he wrote.
In the story, he also shared that it would have been his first international poker trip and that he felt sadder because his sponsorship guaranteed him a final table, which he would be unable to play now. We got in touch with Joshi to understand what exactly happened. He seemed to be super bummed and disheartened by the incident.
He expressed his grief over the matter saying, “I was disheartened to have the visa rejected. It would have been my first international live series. After enjoying a good run at WPT India recently, I was eagerly looking forward to APT Taipei. Besides it was a sponsored package as well. Sadly our aces were cracked even before we reached Taiwan🥲”
It is indeed saddening to hear of such incidents where poker players are treated differently only because they play a sport which society fails to understand.
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Amarylisa Gonsalves is a Content Writer at Gutshot Magazine. Advancing from a marketing background, she found her calling in writing. She takes delight in exploring genres and is a curious learner. Patient and ambivert, she believes in letting her work speak for itself. Apart from content writing, she finds solace in writing poetry by expressing herself through words. Additionally, she adores indulging in anything that satisfies her creative self, like drawing and DIY crafts.
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