Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
The Senegalese women’s basketball team has canceled its scheduled training camp in the United States ahead of the upcoming AfroBasket tournament in Côte d’Ivoire next month. This decision follows the denial of visas for several players and team officials, according to Senegal’s prime minister.
Visa Denials Prompt Training Relocation
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced on social media that the team will now prepare for the competition in Dakar, Senegal’s capital, ensuring a “sovereign and conducive setting” for their training.
Details of the Visa Issues
The Senegalese federation stated that the visa applications of five players and seven officials were not approved by the U.S. authorities.
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- “Informed of the refusal of issuing visas to several members of the Senegal women’s national basketball team, I have instructed the Ministry of Sports to simply cancel the 10-day preparatory training initially planned in the United States of America,” Sonko stated.
Background on U.S. Visa Policies
The visa denials arrive amid a push by the previous U.S. administration to have countries improve vetting travellers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. Senegal wasn’t on that list of countries and it was not immediately clear why the visas were denied.
A State Department spokesperson told the Associated Press the department could not comment on individual cases because visa records are confidential under American law.
The travel ban includes exemptions for the World Cup, the Olympics and any “other major sporting event”, though it’s unclear what is considered a major event.
Team Leadership and Performance
The team is guided by its coach, who also previously led the Nigerian women’s basketball team. Before that, he was the men’s coach at Alabama A&M before resigning previously.
AfroBasket Championship
Senegal, initially slated to train in the U.S., has consistently been a top contender in the AfroBasket championships. The nation has finished either first or second in four of the last five tournaments and secured a total of 11 titles. Winning the competition grants entry into the FIBA World Cup the next year in Germany.