Overview

• The US government refused to grant new visas for five players and seven staff members of Senegal’s women’s national basketball team under tightened entry rules.
• Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko instructed the sports ministry to cancel the team’s planned 10-day US training camp on June 20.
• The camp was designed to prepare the 11-time continental champions for the African Championship in July in Ivory Coast.
• US officials said they only renewed expired visas and did not issue any new travel permits for the squad.
• The incident raises questions over whether stricter visa policies could affect national teams such as Iran, Sudan, Haiti ahead of next year’s men’s football World Cup.