Over the past several months, the
immigration policies of the United States have changed
significantly, to the extent that those seeking visas from almost any country
may be more concerned than ever before in history about their chances of
being successful.
Perhaps, more than anything else,
is the reality that it is almost impossible to predict the nature of policy changes, as well as what can give cause for the changes, and uncertainty as to
when such changes may be announced and enforced.
At the time of writing this piece,
the next edition of the quadrennial FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin in
Mexico City, Mexico, in 48 days, with host Mexico taking on South Africa.
Matches are scheduled for Canada and the USA in addition to Mexico.
FIFA remains tentative on
precisely what, if any, guarantees it is able to give to any of the
participating teams. Technical and administrative officials and supporters. At
the same time, several citizens from several countries are under total travel
bans, while others are under partial bans. Additionally, many countries have
also been informed that their citizens are now subject to a bond of $15,000USD
when making their applications for visas.
At this point, there remains much
uncertainty in respect of whether players of teams that have qualified for the
World Cup Finals would be negatively affected and what this would mean for the
affected teams. Across FIFA’s membership, there is much to worry about in. the
short time left before the first ball kicks off.
Although two years away, the
XXXIV edition of the Olympic Games, due to commence on 17 July 2028, is very
much under a cloud, much as is the case currently with the FIFA World Cup of
2026. Whilst many of the 205 National Olympic Committees ideally relish Los
Angeles’ game-changing traditions when hosting the Summer Olympics, the
International Olympic Committee, much like FIFA, must be looking at all
possible scenarios in respect of the applicable visa requirements as the Games
draw ever nearer.
The fact that the IOC has a
recently elected new and first woman President who is still ‘finding her feet
and hopeful of establishing her own legacy in the global Olympic Movement, does
not make it any easier for all those nations whose athletes are in preparation
for the world’s biggest sporting spectacle.
At this juncture in world history, while both the FIFA World Cup and the
Olympic Games have had their fair number of critical challenges, the likes of
what they are currently facing has never featured in the manner in which they
find themselves today. Indeed, the world has never faced a near-crippling
situation in respect of global travel as is the case today.
One clearly understands the
rapidly changing geo-politics of the contemporary, which has many nations and
their economies at their mercy. But the uncertainty that exists and for the
immediate future, international sport will face its toughest test. This is not
to say that we cannot overcome the challenges as has been the case throughout
history. The current situation, however, has the potential to push two of the
world’s most lucrative and exciting sporting spectacles to bankruptcy, whilst
significantly upturning them and their own perceived places in global dynamics.
One can only hope that cool heads
prevail and that all nations that so readily sign on to the Olympic Truce and
extol the powerful virtues of sport on humanity, would come together is a major
initiative that can literally allow sport perhaps its best chance to ‘change
the world’. The Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) is
counting on this.
Keith Joseph is the President of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC)
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