Kolkata, Mar 3 (PTI) Notwithstanding current airspace restrictions, some of the family members of the South African squad have reached Kolkata just in time for the T20 World Cup semifinal clash with New Zealand, rerouting via Ethiopia and Tanzania.
South Africa will take on New Zealand in the first semifinal on Wednesday at the Eden Gardens, and the families of the players have made it to the city while avoiding the disrupted Dubai route.
According to sources, the families travelled via Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, while one family routed their journey through Tanzania to reach India before the airspace shutdown affected more connections due to the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. “Some of the families have reached a day after the conflicts started in the middle east. But thankfully, they travelled through a completely different route and hence didn’t face any issues. South African team travelling back as and when they do shouldn’t be a problem as they wouldn’t need to take the Dubai route,” a source in the know of things told PTI.
The developments in the middle east have added an unexpected logistical layer to what has otherwise been a smoothly conducted tournament, with organisers hopeful that the situation would ease in the coming days.
The movement of international sports teams and athletes is severely disrupted due to the closure of airspace across the Gulf region following escalating conflicts involving Iran, the US, and Israel.
Two-time Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton star P V Sindhu, who was stranded in Dubai due to closure of airspace in the Middle East, has returned to the country after pulling out of the All England Championships in Birmingham.
The West Indies and Zimbabwe cricket teams are currently stranded in India following their elimination from the T20 World Cup. Their scheduled departures, largely through transit hubs in Dubai, have been delayed due to the closure of air corridors.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has activated contingency measures for players, officials, and staff, working with airlines to find alternative routes through European or South Asian hubs. PTI KHS AH KHS
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