The State Department on Friday announced that Shaquille O’Neal would become the first-ever state basketball sports envoy to Cuba.
“This people-to-people program taps into the unique strength of sports — including basketball — to reach out to young people and promote cooperation and engagement in Cuba,” said a press release from the State Department.
O’Neal will travel to the country to June 25-28 to visit “historically significant cultural sites in Havana” in order to improve “positive ties” between the two countries, the release added.
“O’Neal will draw on his personal basketball and business background to highlight the importance of social inclusion and respect for diversity.”
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A group of lawmakers led by House Homeland Security chair Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, announced earlier in the day that they were experiencing less success traveling to the country. Cuban officials denied the group’s visa applications just hours before a scheduled trip to examine airport security. Commercial flights between Cuba and the U.S. are scheduled to begin later this year.
