Latest news with #CardenalesLittleLeague
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
America is undermining its soft power in sports
US President Donald Trump during an executive order signing ceremony in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. NEW YORK – The pre-teen boys who play for Venezuela's Cardenales Little League are on their way to the upcoming Little League World Series. Credit is due to their talent and diligence – and an exemption from President Donald Trump's travel ban personally granted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week. Unfortunately, before this special waiver, their participation was far from guaranteed. In July, a different Venezuelan Little League team, Cacique Mara, was denied US visas and a chance to play in a different event in South Carolina. The harsh, differential treatment of two youth teams is a new phenomenon in American sports. For decades, the US was recognized for its openness to international athletes and competition. Sports generated goodwill, as well as diplomatic, cultural and economic benefits, making it a US soft power. Now, the unwillingness to welcome athletes from everywhere is eroding it. For as long as Americans have played organized sports, foreigners have been on the team. Major League Baseball has profited from immigrant talent since the 1870s, for example. But it was only during the middle decades of the 20th century that athletes began migrating to the US in large numbers for the express purpose of training and playing a sport. These days, we are accustomed to seeing foreign-born players competing in – and dominating – top leagues, such as the National Basketball Association. Lesser-known, but just as important, is the growth of athletes at the amateur and semi-professional level. Consider college sports. During the 1999-2000 academic year, 3,589 international athletes comprised 2.4% of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's top-tier Division I athletes; by 2023-24, that number had ballooned to 13,198 or 7%. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Four men arrested in Bukit Timah believed to be linked to housebreaking syndicates Singapore Criminal trial of Hyflux founder Olivia Lum and five others starts Aug 11 Singapore Profile of Kpod user has shifted from hardcore drug users to young people: Experts Tech Former data analyst creates AI tutor that assesses students based on Singapore schools' criteria Opinion I used to be impatient. Then I became a granddad Life Pixar film-maker, We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong on the lessons his S'porean parents taught him Opinion Recognising our imperfections is part of what makes Singapore whole Business The risks of using 'decoupling' to own two properties Several factors draw them. First, there's the money. American sports have more of it than any other country. The big salaries paid at the professional level are an obvious attraction. But so, too, are the opportunities at the collegiate and youth levels. Thanks to media rights revenue, for example, US colleges and universities fund scholarships, facilities and coaching at a scale and quality unavailable anywhere else in the world. Overseas athletes aren't just attracted to superior gym facilities, of course. Sticking with basketball as an example, long before aspiring European players have ever heard of an NCAA Final Four, they've likely fallen for an American basketball culture that represents freedom and self-expression. At a time when America's image abroad totters, Steph Curry and his 3-point shooting skills remain popular everywhere. What government, anywhere, doesn't wish that its values could be similarly embraced by global youth culture? Saudi Arabia's recent, expensive embrace of sports as public diplomacy (sportswashing, in the eyes of many) is just one example of a country trying to emulate American success and co-opt some of the narrative. Money alone can't buy American soft power success. A country also needs values that it can sell, and a government willing to make the effort. For example, since 2002, the US State Department has hosted a Sports Diplomacy Division intended to foster cultural exchanges and open up countries to American businesses along the way. Shaquille O'Neal, Ken Griffey Jr., and Cal Ripken Jr. have been among its most prominent envoys, presumably to the benefit of the NBA, MLB and their media partners. Meanwhile, a cultivated image of openness has long been matched by an immigration policy that welcomes individuals with extraordinary abilities, including athletes. If someone wants to come to the US to compete, train and earn, that person has been, for the most part, welcome in recent decades. The country's role as host for major international competitions – such as the FIFA World Cup (in 1994 and 2026) and multiple Olympic games (with Los Angeles on tap for 2028) – strengthens this perception and serves as a platform for promoting American soft power. Trump's travel bans and immigration policies, ostensibly created to preserve national security, undermine those efforts. Though not targeted specifically at athletes, they are already casualties. In June, the State Department denied visas to members of Senegal's national women's basketball team, who were planning a US training camp, and Cuba's national women's volleyball team, who were intending to compete in a tournament in Puerto Rico. But players visiting the US temporarily – say, for a tournament or training camp – aren't the only ones who are experiencing a different kind of welcome, either. Foreign-born athletes who plan to enroll in colleges and universities this fall experienced significant visa delays and uncertainties this spring. Most issues in the latter category were eventually resolved, but the message both at home and abroad was unmistakable: It's your passport–not your talent or determination–that decides whether you get to play. Athletes lose out. The US loses more. In the increasingly intense battle for global loyalties, Americans need ambassadors and events that showcase their best values and culture. Sports do that, and the US shouldn't willingly squander its lead. BLOOMBERG
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump admin reverses course and grants some visas to Venezuelan teams to compete in Little League World Series
A pair of Venezuela Little League teams were able to score last-minute exceptions to play in Little League World Series tournaments in the U.S. despite the Trump administration's travel restrictions on the South American nation, which appeared to snare another Venezuelan team last month from competing. Those accepted include a Barquimesto, Venezuela, team from the Cardenales Little League, which will represent Latin America in the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the league confirmed. 'Our children's dream is going to come true soon,' the team wrote in Spanish on Instagram on Friday. 'Williamsport here we come.' Another team, from the city of Valencia, secured permission to play in an older age division in the Little League Intermediate Tournament in Livermore, California. 'We are grateful for all those who supported these players throughout this process, including the U.S. Department of State,' Little League International told The Independent in a statement. Venezuela is among the nations named in the Trump administration's June proclamation restricting and in some cases banning travel from certain nations the White House says fall short of vetting standards or have high rates of visa overstays. While the policy contains an exception for athletes playing in major international tournaments like the World Cup or Olympics, it reportedly took the intervention of top federal officials to get the Venezuelan teams to the U.S. tournaments. Trump ally Senator David McCormick of Pennsylvania reportedly helped convince the administration to grant the Little Leaguers exceptions, a decision that ultimately required personal sign-off from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 'I am thrilled my team and I were able to play a small role in making sure young athletes are able to chase their dreams and participate in this timeless Pennsylvania tradition,' McCormick said in a statement to The Athletic. The Independent has contacted the State Department and the U.S. embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, which handles consular issues relating to Venezuela, for comment. A third Venezuelan team, which qualified for the Senior League World Series, announced in July it had been unable to secure its visas. 'The players are demoralized,' Cacique Mara wrote in a statement in Spanish on social media at the time. 'The only thing that they know is baseball. They want to go to compete and put the name Venezuela and Latin American on high. They don't represent any threat, they are 15-year-olds that want to win the world series.' The team shared that its denial may have been related to a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act related to preventing the entry of terrorists and national security threats. The White House claims the Venezuelan government is in league with the Tren de Aragua gang, which it considers a hostile foreign entity invading the country, justifying emergency restrictions like the use of the Alien Enemies Act, even though U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly disagree. The visa issues come as the U.S. is set to see a major influx of foreign athletic teams seeking entry to the country to play in the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump admin reverses course and grants some visas to Venezuelan teams to compete in Little League World Series
A pair of Venezuela Little League teams were able to score last-minute exceptions to play in Little League World Series tournaments in the U.S. despite the Trump administration's travel restrictions on the South American nation, which appeared to snare another Venezuelan team last month from competing. Those accepted include a Barquimesto, Venezuela, team from the Cardenales Little League, which will represent Latin America in the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the league confirmed. 'Our children's dream is going to come true soon,' the team wrote in Spanish on Instagram on Friday. 'Williamsport here we come.' Another team, from the city of Valencia, secured permission to play in an older age division in the Little League Intermediate Tournament in Livermore, California. 'We are grateful for all those who supported these players throughout this process, including the U.S. Department of State,' Little League International told The Independent in a statement. Venezuela is among the nations named in the Trump administration's June proclamation restricting and in some cases banning travel from certain nations the White House says fall short of vetting standards or have high rates of visa overstays. While the policy contains an exception for athletes playing in major international tournaments like the World Cup or Olympics, it reportedly took the intervention of top federal officials to get the Venezuelan teams to the U.S. tournaments. Trump ally Senator David McCormick of Pennsylvania reportedly helped convince the administration to grant the Little Leaguers exceptions, a decision that ultimately required personal sign-off from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 'I am thrilled my team and I were able to play a small role in making sure young athletes are able to chase their dreams and participate in this timeless Pennsylvania tradition,' McCormick said in a statement to The Athletic. The Independent has contacted the State Department and the U.S. embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, which handles consular issues relating to Venezuela, for comment. A third Venezuelan team, which qualified for the Senior League World Series, announced in July it had been unable to secure its visas. 'The players are demoralized,' Cacique Mara wrote in a statement in Spanish on social media at the time. 'The only thing that they know is baseball. They want to go to compete and put the name Venezuela and Latin American on high. They don't represent any threat, they are 15-year-olds that want to win the world series.' The team shared that its denial may have been related to a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act related to preventing the entry of terrorists and national security threats. The White House claims the Venezuelan government is in league with the Tren de Aragua gang, which it considers a hostile foreign entity invading the country, justifying emergency restrictions like the use of the Alien Enemies Act, even though U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly disagree. The visa issues come as the U.S. is set to see a major influx of foreign athletic teams seeking entry to the country to play in the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Edmonton Journal
5 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Venezuelan team allowed to enter U.S. to compete in Little League World Series
A youth baseball team from Venezuela has been granted visas to represent the Latin America region at the upcoming Little League World Series in Pennsylvania, according to a league spokesperson, securing exemptions from the State Department to enter the United States despite representing a country under travel restrictions instituted by President Donald Trump. Article content Article content Brian McClintock, a senior executive for communications at Little League International, said in a statement the State Department notified Little League International that the Cardenales Little League team from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, 'has received their visas and will be able to represent the Latin America Region at the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series.' Article content Article content 'The seven Little League World Series tournaments, a role model of diplomacy for decades, are where kids from all different cultures connect on the fields and build lasting friendships and bonds, and we are grateful for all those who supported these players throughout this process, including the U.S. Department of State,' McClintock added. Article content Venezuela is one of several countries whose nationals are restricted from or limited in travel into the U.S. under the proclamation signed by Trump in June. Article content Article content The Cardenales Little League team is one of 20 regional champions from around the world set to compete in the 78th Little League Baseball World Series, a nationally televised event for players ages 10-12 that begins later this month. Article content The team revealed on social media Friday that their visas had been approved for the tournament, which is held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Article content 'The dream of our children will soon come true,' the team said in a translated Instagram post. 'Williamsport here we come.' Article content Another Venezuelan Little League team, the Cacique Mara from Maracaibo, was denied entry to the U.S. last month for the Senior League Baseball World Series in South Carolina. At the time, Little League International said the team had been 'unable to obtain the appropriate visas,' calling the decision to deny their entry 'extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes.'
National Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Venezuelan team allowed to enter U.S. to compete in Little League World Series
A youth baseball team from Venezuela has been granted visas to represent the Latin America region at the upcoming Little League World Series in Pennsylvania, according to a league spokesperson, securing exemptions from the State Department to enter the United States despite representing a country under travel restrictions instituted by President Donald Trump. Article content Article content Brian McClintock, a senior executive for communications at Little League International, said in a statement the State Department notified Little League International that the Cardenales Little League team from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, 'has received their visas and will be able to represent the Latin America Region at the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series.' Article content 'The seven Little League World Series tournaments, a role model of diplomacy for decades, are where kids from all different cultures connect on the fields and build lasting friendships and bonds, and we are grateful for all those who supported these players throughout this process, including the U.S. Department of State,' McClintock added. Article content Venezuela is one of several countries whose nationals are restricted from or limited in travel into the U.S. under the proclamation signed by Trump in June. Article content The Cardenales Little League team is one of 20 regional champions from around the world set to compete in the 78th Little League Baseball World Series, a nationally televised event for players ages 10-12 that begins later this month. Article content The team revealed on social media Friday that their visas had been approved for the tournament, which is held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Article content 'The dream of our children will soon come true,' the team said in a translated Instagram post. 'Williamsport here we come.' Article content Another Venezuelan Little League team, the Cacique Mara from Maracaibo, was denied entry to the U.S. last month for the Senior League Baseball World Series in South Carolina. At the time, Little League International said the team had been 'unable to obtain the appropriate visas,' calling the decision to deny their entry 'extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes.' Article content At the time that the Cacique Mara team's entry to the U.S. was denied, a senior State Department official told The Washington Post that officials were 'working to review the case to confirm proper procedures were followed and necessary appeals were submitted by the visa applicants.' Article content The decision to bar the athletes from entering the U.S. comes as the country prepares to host some FIFA World Cup matches in 2026 and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. Article content Though Trump's travel ban restrictions include an exception for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State,' members of the Cuban women's national volleyball team were denied visas to enter Puerto Rico to compete in a tournament last month. Article content
