Mali has strongly condemned the Czech Republic’s refusal to grant entry visas to its U19 women’s basketball team, preventing them from competing in the FIBA World Cup.
The Malian Foreign Ministry lodged a formal protest with Prague over the incident, which it labeled an “unfriendly act.” The team was slated to play in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Brno from July 12-20. FIBA confirmed the Malian delegation’s inability to travel due to these visa issues.
Consequently, Mali’s scheduled matches against Australia, France, and Brazil were canceled. This “deeply regrettable” incident, as the ministry described it, stopped the Malian team from participating in a major international tournament.
Mali’s ministry stressed the team was set to represent both their country and the entire African continent. They’ve urged Czech authorities to provide full details about the “unfortunate” incident.