Some injustices in sport announce themselves loudly.
This one arrived quietly.
At an immigration desk in Miami International Airport.
An 11-hour interrogation.
Before a man was put on a flight back to Istanbul.
His name is Omar Artan.
He was supposed to make history.
And he has now spoken publicly for the first time.
Omar Artan speaks out after being denied entry to the World Cup
According to the BBC, Omar Artan was subjected to an 11-hour immigration interview at Miami International Airport before being denied entry to the United States.
This was despite travelling with valid documents, a diplomatic passport issued specifically to ease his travel, and what he describes as the correct visa for his role.
He was then held in a separate detention cell for several more hours before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
Artan was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup finals.
He had passed all of FIFA’s selection processes.
And he had earned one of the most prestigious appointments available to a referee anywhere in the world.
However, Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Yet, no official reason for Artan’s repatriation has been provided by US immigration authorities.
FIFA confirmed the situation in a statement that simultaneously confirmed the outcome and distanced itself from any responsibility.
A senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed the denial to the BBC, stating that Artan had been travelling with valid documents.
In December, President Trump told reporters he does not want Somali immigrants in the United States and they should “go back to where they came from.”
Thus, that context hangs over everything.
Artan cannot referee matches in Canada or Mexico as an alternative.
All on-pitch officials must be based at Referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina’s training hub in Miami.
Present for preparation, training and security throughout the tournament.
However, without entry to the United States, there is no pathway to participation.
Therefore, a dream, ultimately turned back at the border.
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