The Wild Boar team attracted international attention in late June when 12 young players and their coach ventured inside a cave in northern Thailand for an afternoon excursion but found the exit blocked by rising floodwater.
The team was trapped for almost three weeks, before cave diving experts from around the world led a complex operation to bring them out on stretchers carried through narrow tunnels.
Mae Sai sits at the very edge of the border between Thailand and Myanmar, and it’s not unusual for families to cross the border to search for work or go to school. Many in Mae Sai are members of minority groups, and sit at the crossroads of the two countries.
On Wednesday, the boys were among 30 stateless people granted Thai rights.
After the team was rescued from the cave, the officials had promised to start the process of granting the stateless boys Thai citizenship.
During the ceremony, they were handed Thai ID cards, which grants them access to public services such as healthcare and freedom of movement.
After the dramatic rescue, the team spent about a week in the hospital, where they were carefully monitored for possible infections or pneumonia. Upon their release, the team recounted their ordeal and thanked their rescuers at a press conference, wearing matching Wild Boars team shirts.
Source : Nbcnewyork