A month ago I created a new category which I subsequently didn’t use (laugh of the day) because everything has just been too darn deadly serious. But, here is a laugh for you….
[My apologies to our many Canadian readers because I have a whole pile of news on Canada I haven’t gotten to. Problems are starting to arise (no surprise!) because of Boy Trudeau’s hasty resettlement of thousands upon thousands of Syrians.]
Here is the story, a request for a US visa confirmed what other coaches were saying about the ‘star’ player (hat tip: Joanne):
Canadian authorities said Wednesday that a budding high school basketball star is actually a 29-year-old refugee*** from South Sudan.
The Canadian Border Services Agency said that Jonathan Nicola was arrested earlier this week for contravening the country’s Immigration Refugee Protection Act.
The agency said Nicola “misrepresented material facts” on his application for a study permit to Canada, submitting an application with a date of birth of Nov. 25, 1998 — which would make him 17. The agency says when Nicola recently applied for a U.S. visitor visa, a fingerprint match determined he was an individual who had made a previous application to the U.S. using a date of birth of Nov. 1, 1986 — making him 29.
The Windsor Star reported that Nicola was remanded into custody after a hearing before the country’s Immigration and Refugee Board Tuesday. Another hearing is scheduled for next week. Nicola faces deportation if convicted.
Nicola was attending Catholic Central High School in Windsor and played on the basketball team, even living with head coach Pete Cusumano. In January, Cusumano told the Windsor Star that he thought Nicola had a chance to play in the NBA.
***Fox News is using the word ‘refugee’ loosely because Nicola appears to be getting around (the world) with a student visa not as a refugee. But, in fact it is just such visas that the UN and the Obama Administration are looking to in order to increase rapidly the number of Syrians coming to the US, see here.
Update: Forgot to tell you where the photo came from:
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/04/high_school_basketball_star_cl.html