Thirteen-year-old Dio Gama will get to play baseball in the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania after all.
Gama鈥檚 team, the Whalley Major Allstars from Surrey, B.C., had thought they would be without the young outfielder after a federal judge ordered a review of the family鈥檚 immigration case last month.
There were fears Gama would be blocked from re-entering Canada if he travelled to the U.S. for the tournament without status in Canada.
But the federal Immigration Department will issue Gama a temporary resident permit in order to allow him to accompany his team to the Little League World Series, The Canadian Press has learned.
The temporary permit is the result of an intervention by Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. A senior Immigration official says the $200 application fee for the permit will also be waived.
Whalley Little League president Gavin Burke said Wednesday night that when he told Dio鈥檚 father, Noe, the news on the phone he said his son was 鈥渙ver the moon.鈥�
鈥淗is dad described that he was in the background when we told him, and he was just screaming with joy,鈥� said Burke.
Burke said he and his wife are going to take a red-eye flight to Toronto on Thursday night and then will drive down to Williamsport, Penn. He said they should be there by midday Friday, in time for the Canadian team鈥檚 first game against Panama at 6 p.m.
鈥撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌�
On Wednesday morning, Gama was out playing baseball 鈥� just not in the place he most wants to be right now.
Dressed in full baseball gear, including a shirt proclaiming Whalley鈥檚 recent Canadian Little League Championship, he caught fly balls hit by his father, Noe, and crushed pitches thrown by one of his younger brothers at Lionel Courchene Park, near the Gama family鈥檚 home, in the Johnston Heights area of Surrey.
No question, Dio would rather be in Williamsport enjoying the Little League World Series experience with his 12 teammates.
At the moment, however, he鈥檚 the unlucky 13th player on the roster of young Surrey-area athletes, because on Sunday Dio wasn鈥檛 able to make the eight-hour bus trip to Pennsylvania from Mirabel, Quebec, where the Whalley squad went undefeated in eight games to win the national title Saturday.
Instead, he and his father flew home after celebrating the victory.
鈥� READ MORE: .
Dio, whose full name is Dioscoro, is prevented from going to the Little League World Series because of immigration issues that involve his father鈥檚 troubled past, although Noe doesn鈥檛 want to talk publicly about that in detail.
鈥淚 made a mistake when I was young, and I take the responsibility,鈥� said Noe, originally from Mexico.
A lawyer has told the family that if Dio crossed the border into the U.S., he may not be allowed back into Canada.
Dio was born 13 years ago in Las Vegas, and is an American citizen, his father said.
The family came to Canada a decade ago as refugees seeking citizenship, he said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been waiting for that for 10 years,鈥� Noe said Wednesday.
鈥淲e are hoping he can still go (to Williamsport), and we talked to the MP here and they say they鈥檙e willing to help us, to try to get a permit for Dio to play his favourite sport, to finish the World Series and come back,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e have been trying very hard for that, and I hope they see it. It鈥檚 only for the kid, only for the boy.鈥�
Dio said winning the national championship in Quebec was 鈥渁 good feeling, probably one of the best feelings I鈥檝e ever had.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty awesome winning the championship and going to the World Series, which is what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, I couldn鈥檛 go鈥︹�� he added, his voice trailing off.
Dio has been playing baseball for three years, and practices the game with his father and brothers every chance he gets. Not surprisingly, he wants to play pro one day, after attending university.
鈥淓very day we鈥檙e out here, and they want to be at the park,鈥� Noe said of his three eldest sons. 鈥淭he kids are here and they practice, that鈥檚 what we do. You can see it, the passion. I have to keep them on fire.鈥�
Early this year, Dio told his father he wanted to for play for Whalley this spring, for a chance to go the Little League World Series.
鈥淗e decided that, to switch (from a Surrey Canadians team), and we talked to Whalley and, after the tryouts, they accepted him,鈥� Noe explained.
Playing as Team Canada now, Whalley鈥檚 first game in Williamsport is Friday (Aug. 17) starting at 3 p.m. PDT against Latin America, represented by a squad from Arraijan, Panama.
As of Wednesday, the Gama family, Whalley league officials and supporters were hopeful Dio could still join the team at the big event, even as the clock ticked toward their opening game at the tournament.
鈥淲e are saying, just let him play,鈥� Mark Deshane, a vice-president of Whalley Little League, told the Now-Leader. 鈥淭he kid is qualified and certified under Little League for his play 鈥� he鈥檚 been here more than two years, so he gets to play, but if it wasn鈥檛 for this strange catch in our immigration situation, he would be at the World Series.
鈥淪o we鈥檙e just saying let the boy play, put everything else aside. Whatever happens with his immigration, maybe eventually he鈥檚 going to have to go back to the United States and his family will have to go back to Mexico, who knows. But if they decide to split the family up, that would be horrible, obviously, but that may be where they鈥檙e going. But in the meantime, he鈥檚 got a dream and we want to help him play, so we鈥檙e putting out that message.鈥�
Noe said the family hopes everything will soon be resolved, and that Dio is 鈥渞eady to go.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream for each boy, you know what I mean? We can send him even with the president of Whalley. I talked to him and he says if he鈥檚 going, he鈥檚 gonna take Dio with him.
鈥淲hatever I did in the past is different, and now it鈥檚 about the kids. That鈥檚 the way I see it,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 hope it gets solved in a good way, otherwise my son, he says it. It鈥檚 going to hurt, hurt a lot, and one day, I don鈥檛 know if he鈥檚 going to go. You can see, he wants to cry. He鈥檚 so sad.
鈥淵esterday, after I told him I鈥檓 sorry, because I know it鈥檚 my fault, he looked at me and said, 鈥楧ad, you told me, and you told me the truth about what could happen, and just to let you know, I鈥檓 proud that you鈥檙e my dad.鈥� When he told me that, I feel good, you know, because I never lied to him about this.鈥�
With files from The Canadian Press.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on and follow Tom on
