Lorenzo Brown and Mohammad Motaghinia experienced this weekend the face and the cross of the nationalizations. While the point guard, born in the USA and urgently nationalized for the European Championship, led Spain to the conquest of continental gold, the wrestler of Iranian origin, who has lived in Spain since 2018, was unable to compete in the Belgrade Wrestling World Cup due to a bureaucratic problem.
Moha arrived in Spain four years ago, at the age of 21, to play a tournament and stayed. “I had been third in the junior world and champion of Asia but I had problems with my federation. I had offers from several federations, such as Romania or Brazil, but I spoke with the Spanish federation and they convinced me to stay, ”he explains to this medium. “A coach from a club in Jaén offered me a job and a house and took the residence permit to work legally until you have a passport.” He was full-time at the Olympic Power Wrestling in Torredelcampo (Jaén) until he obtained nationality through the ordinary process.
protect the quarry
“Many countries nationalize overnight, but we, to protect the quarry, ask that they have a minimum stay in Spain”, comments Francisco Javier Iglesias, the president of the Spanish federation.
“When he fulfilled three licenses In Spain we process the request, first he by letter of nature to the CSD, and then we, already with the nationality, request the change of sports nationality”. He was granted it and the Spanish federation paid 10,000 Swiss francs, half to the Iranian federation for training rights and the other to the international federation, so that he could compete for Spain.
immigration office
The results came quickly: won the championship of Spain and the international tournament Grand Prix of Spain and was plata in junio in Sanxenxo in the Beach Wrestling World Series. The World Cup, which was held last week in Belgrade, could be his gateway to the international elite until he received a letter from the Jaén immigration office in which they took away his residence permit.
The City Council of Torredelcampo had proposed, three months earlier, a part-time contract to teach children. He accepted by halving the hours at his club, a decision that meant losing his residence permit. “I went to trial paying a lot of money with lawyers, but I lost.” Despite this, he continued training in the hope that the bureaucratic problem would be solved in time for the World Cup. “I have been training every day, in the morning and in the afternoon, I lost five kilos in a month and a half and I lost my vacation waiting if the paper came or not”.
“Fully integrated”
In fact, he could have competed in Belgrade, because his sports license with Spain was valid and he was traveling with an Iranian passport. But the paradox could have occurred that won a medal for Spain and then they wouldn’t let him in when he came back. The Federation preferred to avoid this situation. “There are sports that have less force, in which things go more slowly and others faster,” laments the president.
“I feel bad that someone fully integratedwho has been training in Spain for four years and speaks Spanish, meets so many obstacles when it is good for everyone. In Belgrade he would have been safe in the top 10 and is a clear medal option for the Paris Olympics. If he doesn’t have problems with injuries and weight, he could do three Olympic cycles.”
eternal wait
On Monday Moha settled in the CAR in Madrid to continue training while waiting for his case to be unlocked so that he can participate next year in the European and World Championships, which qualifies for the Games. “I could get a medal in the World Cup and a ticket to the Games but without a passport then I couldn’t enter Spain. With Lorenzo Brown it was super fast and I have been waiting for more than three years nationalization. I hope to be able to get the residence problem out of my head and fulfill my dream of winning an Olympic medal and for myself and for Spain”, she concludes.
