Afghan girls robotics team competes after visa issues

The girls’ struggle to overcome war, hardship and U.S. bureaucracy has made their team stand out.

WASHINGTON — Their team shirts didn’t say “Afghanistan” and their name badges were handwritten, not typed, suggesting the last-minute nature of their entry into the United States. But the Afghan girls competing Monday in an international robotics competition in Washington were clearly excited to be representing their nation.

The team of six teenage girls was twice rejected for U.S. visas before President Donald Trump intervened. They arrived inWashington from their hometown ofHerat, Afghanistan, early Saturday, and their ball-sorting robot competed in its first roundMonday.

“We were so interested, becausewe find a big chance to showthe talent and ability of Afghans, show that Afghanwomencanmake robots, too,” saidRodabaNoori, one of the team members. She acknowledged, though, that the team“hadn’t long, or enough time to get ready for competition.”

The girls’ struggle to overcome war, hardship and U.S. bureaucracy on their journey to the U.S. capital has made their team stand out among more than 150 competing in the FIRST Global Challenge, a roboticscompetition designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science.

The U.S. won’t say why the girls were rejected for visas. But Afghan Ambassador Hamdullah Mohib said that based on discussions withU.S. officials, it appears the girls were turned away due to concerns they would not return to Afghanistan.

Speaking with the assistance of a translator, team member Fatemah Qaderyan, 14, said that she was “grateful” to be able to compete.