Rescued football players and coach Thailand get passport

bangkok - Three members of the youth football team who were rescued from a cave in Thailand have been given Thai nationality. Their 25-year-old coach was also allowed to receive a Thai ID card, authorities say.

The four were formally stateless, although they were born in Thailand. They turned out to meet all the requirements to become national and got their papers on Wednesday.

Divers took the group from a cave system last month. The twelve young footballers and the trainer got stuck there when the water rose through rainfall. The risky, spectacular rescue operation received a lot of attention worldwide.