• Senegal women's basketball team cancels training in the U.S. due to visa refusals.
• Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko expresses gratitude to China for supporting Senegal's athletes.
• The team will now conduct training in Dakar ahead of the AfroBasket tournament.
• U.S. immigration policies raise concerns about further travel restrictions on African countries.

Senegal's women’s basketball team has cancelled plans for a training camp in the United States after multiple members, including players and officials, were denied visas. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced the cancellation on social media, stating that the team would now train in Dakar, "in a sovereign and conducive setting," as they prepare for the upcoming AfroBasket tournament in Ivory Coast next month. The Senegal Basketball Federation confirmed that five players and seven officials had their visa applications denied, according to SCMP, BBC, and Los Angeles Times.

Prime Minister Sonko's remarks highlight a broader concern involving U.S. immigration policies, which are becoming increasingly stringent for several nations, including potential new travel restrictions on 25 African countries. The implications of this deny Senegalese athletes the chance to train in what the Prime Minister described as "support of the country’s women’s national basketball team," with Sonko expressing "deep gratitude" towards China for offering support in the form of preparation scholarships ahead of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, as noted by SCMP and BBC.

The cancellation follows recent U.S. immigration policy changes that could impede travel for athletes and officials, especially those associated with sporting events like the upcoming World Cup and Olympics. The guidance from the U.S. State Department indicates the necessity of improved vetting of travelers from specific countries, raising uncertainty over the reasons behind the visa denials for the Senegalese team, as covered by Los Angeles Times and BBC.

With a storied history in the AfroBasket championship, having won 11 titles, the Senegal women's team is facing significant challenges as they prepare for the tournament without key training that was supposed to take place in the United States. This situation highlights the tension between sports diplomacy and current immigration policies, as stated by BBC and Los Angeles Times.