KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- Three members of Jamaica’s Under 19 beach volleyball teams have been denied United States visas which would have allowed them to pass through that country enroute to Portugal for next month’s FIVB World-level Championship.
They are Rojey Hutchinson and Shavar Bryan on the boys team and Tionna Graham on the girls outfit.
The second player making up the girls team, Lisanne Roofe, already has a US visa.
The denial of the US visas came after the agent at the Embassy reportedly expressed doubt that a beach volleyball team is made up of only two players, as opposed to six players.
“Travelling through the US would have cost approximately US$2,500 per player, but we will now have to try to source money to pay approximately US$4,000 per player, at best, to take another route,” stated Major Warrenton Dixon, president of the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA).
“We may also have to apply for two to three more visas and hope that time and decisions work in our favour.”