PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Representatives of Philadelphia's Taney Dragons, the little league team that captivated the city last summer, released a statement after the U.S. championship team, Chicago's Jackie Robinson West, was stripped of its title on Wednesday.The Chicago-based little league team eliminated Philadelphia's Taney Dragons during the 2014 tournament.The following statement was posted on the team's website:This came after Little League International stripped Jackie Robinson West of the title after an investigation revealed it had falsified boundaries to field ineligible players.The stunning announcement came months after the all-black team, whose ages ranged from 11 to 13 years, captured the attention of the country and the hearts of its hometown. The baseball organization said it also found that after the league had changed the boundaries, some team officials went to surrounding leagues to convince them to go along with what they'd done.The Jackie Robinson West team, the first all-African-American team to win the championship, must vacate wins from the 2014 Little League Baseball International Tournament -- including its Great Lakes Regional and United States championships.The team has been suspended from Little League tournament privileges until new leadership is found. The team's manager, Darold Butler, is also suspended, and an administrator from the district that includes Jackie Robinson West has been removed from his position, according to the statement.As a result, the United States championship has been awarded to Mountain Ridge Little League from Las Vegas."This is a heartbreaking decision," Stephen D. Keener, the Little League International president and CEO, said in a statement.During a news conference on Wednesday, Civil Rights activist Jesse Jackson, parents and players called the punishment too harsh."If this was a case of someone overage, 16 years old - which has happened before, that's a case for forfeiture. Or manipulating a birth certificate," Jackson said."We do know that we are champions, our parents know we are champions, our team's parents know we are champions, and Chicago knows we are champions," said player Brandon Green.Jackson and the parents believe race played a role in the decision, but absent from today's press conference was suspended coach Butler and the fired district administrator.President Barack Obama, who is from Chicago and invited the team to the White House, had this to say through his press secretary."He's proud of the way they represented their city and the country. Dirty dealing by adults doesn't take away from that."Those affiliated with Jackie Robinson West say they won't give up the fight until the title is restored.