Local wrestlers have friendly dual against Mongolia team postponed
Jordan Thomas said it was such a great learning experience wrestling against international competition the last time, that he was looking forward to it again this year.
Two years ago, the Greenville senior was part of a team of all-star wrestlers from around the state that competed for the Michigan Xtreme Training Center squad that went against a team from Russia in a friendly dual.
On Friday at Sparta High School, the 171-pounder was supposed to get his second chance to wrestle against an international team from Mongolia, but it was postponed because members were unable to secure their travel visas to the United States.
"I am disappointed, I was really looking forward to it," said Thomas, a two-time state champion for the Yellow Jackets. "We had a really good team from Michigan, and from what I know, the Mongolians had to win a qualifying national tournament to be on their team, so you knew there were going to be some fun matches."
Athletes in Action helped get the Russian team here, and were doing the same for the Mongolians, when the project ran up against political red tape.
"In order to get their visas to leave the country they had to have an interview with the consulate general at the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia," Michigan Xtreme president Tom Bennett said. "It cost $140 for a request for your visa, and they went in one at a time. Each one had to show what they were going to do and their plan for return, and each one was denied because the consulate general had doubts that the wrestlers had social and compelling economic ties to Mongolia to overcome that doubt of a return."
Bennett said one of the Mongolian wrestlers won two horses in a wrestling competition there, but sold them to help pay his way to Michigan.
"That was one of the red flags for the decision," Bennett said. "Him selling everything he had to make the trip to the United States."
Thomas said he knew there was a lot the Mongolian wrestlers had to go through just to make the trip.
"As far as I know, we are still trying to get them out here," Thomas said. "It might just take longer."
Bennett -- whose team had all-state wrestlers Tim Lambert (Forest Hills Eastern), Nick Trimble (Sparta) and Taylor Massa (St. John’s) lined up for the dual -- said a future date is the new plan.
"Athletes in Action has done this for years, and they were never rejected," Bennett said. "The plan now is to get a U.S. Senator involved to overturn this and get them here at a later date. So we are in a holding pattern."
Two years ago, the Greenville senior was part of a team of all-star wrestlers from around the state that competed for the Michigan Xtreme Training Center squad that went against a team from Russia in a friendly dual.
On Friday at Sparta High School, the 171-pounder was supposed to get his second chance to wrestle against an international team from Mongolia, but it was postponed because members were unable to secure their travel visas to the United States.
"I am disappointed, I was really looking forward to it," said Thomas, a two-time state champion for the Yellow Jackets. "We had a really good team from Michigan, and from what I know, the Mongolians had to win a qualifying national tournament to be on their team, so you knew there were going to be some fun matches."
Athletes in Action helped get the Russian team here, and were doing the same for the Mongolians, when the project ran up against political red tape.
"In order to get their visas to leave the country they had to have an interview with the consulate general at the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia," Michigan Xtreme president Tom Bennett said. "It cost $140 for a request for your visa, and they went in one at a time. Each one had to show what they were going to do and their plan for return, and each one was denied because the consulate general had doubts that the wrestlers had social and compelling economic ties to Mongolia to overcome that doubt of a return."
Bennett said one of the Mongolian wrestlers won two horses in a wrestling competition there, but sold them to help pay his way to Michigan.
"That was one of the red flags for the decision," Bennett said. "Him selling everything he had to make the trip to the United States."
Thomas said he knew there was a lot the Mongolian wrestlers had to go through just to make the trip.
"As far as I know, we are still trying to get them out here," Thomas said. "It might just take longer."
Bennett -- whose team had all-state wrestlers Tim Lambert (Forest Hills Eastern), Nick Trimble (Sparta) and Taylor Massa (St. John’s) lined up for the dual -- said a future date is the new plan.
"Athletes in Action has done this for years, and they were never rejected," Bennett said. "The plan now is to get a U.S. Senator involved to overturn this and get them here at a later date. So we are in a holding pattern."
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