The United States Embassy in New Delhihas denied visas to the 15 members of the Tibet Women’s Soccer Team who wish to travel to Texas for the Dallas Cup soccer tournament – a decision which has hit the international press and sparked a media campaign which has gone viral.
This was an opportunity which would have enabled them to be the first sports team to represent Tibet on American soil, and for which the team had spent $5,000 on visa applications and a year of preparation.
The India-based team was formed in 2012.The majority of the players are Tibetan refugees living in India, while a few are Nepali citizens, all aged between 15 and 19. They were invited by former English football player Gordon Jago to spend ten days in Texas as VIP guests in attendance to the Dallas Cup, one of the most important friendly youth tournaments in the world with an alumni list boasting the likes of David Beckham and Wayne Rooney.
The visit would have seen the Tibetan team lead the opening day parade into the Cotton Bowl stadium, proudly carrying the Tibetan flag for the world to see. Sadly, they were denied this chance because they did not have a “strong reason” to go to Dallas, despite having produced all necessary documentation and fulfilling all requirements that were asked in the mandatory regulation by US visa guidelines.
“Everything was filed properly. All the invitations were in order. All we needed was the visas. Simple tourist visas to visit the US for ten days. We had all the invitations, the proof of fiscal sponsorship. We prepared everything perfectly. The girls were asked what position they played on the team, and if they had any relatives in the US. The officer did not even look at their supporting documents. That’s it. Rejected,” Cassie Childers, Executive Director at Tibet Women’s Soccer, said in a statement.
Childers added that this could have a great opportunity for the US to host one of the most inspiring groups of young women on this planet today. But that “the United States of America failed today. Utterly“. She added, “We have decided as a team to keep going despite all of this. We have decided to never give up. We will still gather for our planned training camp on March 15, and we will arrange some kind of alternative tour for matches, to someplace where Tibetans are welcome.”
With their much anticipated trip hanging in limbo, the team, dressed in football jerseys, recently stood outside the US Consulate in New Delhi to protest and also expressed their disappointment in a Facebook video.
The team has since called on the authorities to reverse the decision, seeking support for their plight. The Dallas Cup begins only on April 9 and the United States Department of State has the ability to overturn this decision. To push for the same, a petition to the United States Department of State, US Embassy New Delhi has been started on Change.Org, and is receiving a positive response. They have also started a crowdfunding campaign to recover the visa fees and to replenish the fund.
In a recent development, the team has gained the support of two prominent US Congressmen, Christopher H Smith and Thomas McArthur, who on March 6 wrote to the newly appointed US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson requesting he review the situation and grant entry to the US for the team.
And in another angle for this story, the Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) based in Dharamshala has distanced itself from the team saying, “The Tibetan Women Soccer team led by Cassie Childers which has been denied visa by the American Embassy, Delhi recently is not affiliated with TNSA program. TNSA has its own women’s football team.”
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