The Cuban women’s national volleyball team was refused the opportunity to participate in a competition in Puerto Rico. According to the Associated Press, the Cuban Volleyball Federation clarified that the team, which consists of 12 athletes, a referee, and many coaches, will not be able to attend the competition later this month because their visa request was denied.
This comes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s new visa restrictions. Wilfredo Robinson, the Cuban team’s coach, stated that the decision means the team will most certainly lose out on the Nations League. Cuba was slated to compete in the NORCECA Women’s Final Four competition in Manatí, Puerto Rico.
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Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Costa Rica are all expected to participate in the competition, which grants ranking points that can be used to qualify for the Volleyball Nations League.
“The competition grants points for each match and at the end it all adds up,” Robinson told AP. “In September, we have another tournament and if we get there needing to achieve 80 or 100 points we are not going to be able to do it.”
A few players expressed frustration with the way things turned out.
“The disappointment is huge because I train every day, every hour of training is leading up to this and dedicate myself to it,” national team player Laura Suarez told The Associated Press. “It’s really disappointing not to be able to participate in the competition, which is what I’ve been preparing myself for.”
Dayana Martínez, another player said, “We were focused on the competition because it’s right there. Arriving at the embassy and being denied the visa affects us a lot because that competition gives us points to improve our ranking.”
Cuba was added to a list of 12 countries with entry restrictions to the United States and its territories, effective as of early June. They include nationals from Afghanistan, the Republic of Congo, Iran, Venezuela and other nations.
On his X account, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said, “Denial of visas is part of a racist and xenophobic list of visa restrictions.”
In a response to The Associated Press, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba noted that it was unable to comment on individual cases due to privacy policies, but that guidelines were being enforced to safeguard the borders and protect U.S. communities and citizens.
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The Cuban women’s national team won the world championships in 1994 and 1998. Additionally, it took home three consecutive Olympic golds in Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
Many more Cuban athletes who rely on international competitions—some of which must take place in the United States—to earn a spot in major championships and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are likely to be impacted by the U.S. actions.
The Cuban players are not the first time to go through this kind of restriction. Some weeks ago, many Senegalese women’s basketball players and team officials had their visas denied, canceling their plans to train in the United States for the AfroBasket competition in Ivory Coast.
In light of the situation, the Senegalese prime minister said on Facebook that the squad would train “in a sovereign and conducive setting” in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
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