Afghan Girls Robotics Team Competes After Visa Obstacles

By JESSICA GRESKO

WASHINGTON (AP) — A robotics team of six girls from Afghanistan is taking part in an international competition in Washington, after clearing visa obstacles that prompted intervention from President Donald Trump.

The team's ball-sorting robot played in its first game on Monday morning.

The team is competing against teams from more than 150 countries in the FIRST Global Challenge. It's a robotics competition designed to encourage youths to pursue careers in math and science.

Like other robots in the competition, the girls' robot can recognize blue and orange and sort balls into correct locations.

The team was twice rejected for U.S. visas. They arrived in Washington from their hometown of Herat, Afghanistan, early Saturday after Trump's last-minute intervention to sidestep the visa system.

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