Cuban ladies’s volleyball team barred from Puerto Rico tournament after visa denial

The Cuban ladies’s national volleyball team has been compelled to withdraw from a predominant regional tournament in Puerto Rico after the U.S. denied their visa capabilities, dealing a blow to the team’s hopes of advancing in world rankings.

Twelve athletes, alongside with coaches and a referee, were location to rob half within the Final Four tournament of the North, Central American and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) from July 16 to 21. The event plays a key role in qualifying for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Video games, and for the next Volleyball World Championships.

Dayana Martínez, a key center-blocker on the team, expressed frustration and disappointment after their plans were impulsively halted.

“We professional loads within the morning and afternoon; we were already all in favour of the competition due to it’s fine there. Arriving at the embassy and being denied the visa affects us loads due to that competition offers us functions to enhance our ranking,” she acknowledged.

The visa denial stems from tightened restrictions under policies implemented by the Trump administration, which live in assassinate. Cuba is at this time on an inventory of countries self-discipline to heightened trot limitations to U.S. territories. The list additionally entails Iran, Afghanistan, and Venezuela, among others.

Osvaldo Idel Martínez, President of the Cuban Volleyball Federation, acknowledged both the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation and NORCECA made repeated efforts to enhance the team’s participation.

“We were always eager with the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation and the conventional build of job of NORCECA. They consistently supported us and we even maintain paperwork with collaboration requests that both institutions submitted to the Puerto Rican and U.S. Yell Departments,” he acknowledged. “They made each and each effort doubtless for our delegation to rob half within the event.”

Cuban coaches be troubled the visa denial will payment the team worthwhile ranking functions, doubtlessly jeopardizing their possibilities of qualifying for future world tournaments.

The U.S. Embassy in Cuba declined to remark on the insist case, citing privacy policies, nonetheless reiterated that recent trot policies aim to precise U.S. borders and give protection to its communities.

Cuba’s ladies’s volleyball team, as soon as a dominant power on the worldwide stage within the 1990s with more than one Olympic and World Championship titles, now faces increasing challenges in gaining access to world competition.