No Go For North Korean Soccer Camp in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the latest act of ineptitude, the powers that be were planning on hosting the North Korean national football team prior to their participation in the 2010 World Cup. Only problem is that the people of Zimbabwe haven’t forgiven the North Korea for their complicity in the brutal reign of Robert Mugabe. Back in the mid 1980’s, the 5th Brigade, a group of soldiers loyal to Mugabe, killed tens of thousands and left approximately a million people homeless in the Gukuranhundi campaign. It turns out that North Korean “special advisors” to Mugabe trained these troops. Stressing that they have nothing against the players themselves, many Zimbabweans have vowed to protest if the North Koreans are allowed to set up training camp in the country.
(Via Washington Times)
Soccer Returns to the Gaza Strip
In Gaza, football was one of the casualties of the political rift between Fatah (Palestinian Authority) and Hamas. For the past three years, the beautiful game has not been played. In March of this year, the Palestinian Football Federation held its first match between two of Gaza’s most popular teams, Al Shate v. Rafah. The plan is to play a 240-match schedule with playoffs in July. The football fans in Gaza no longer have to resort to cheering on external football teams on television; they can now pack their stadiums, cheering on their teams in person. Hopefully, this is a prelude to better cooperation between the two factions on more important issues.
(Via L.A. Times)
China’s Soccer Ambition
Following the latest episode of Chinese football’s corruption scandal, the head of China’s Soccer Association, Wei Di, aims to change the country’s lowly reputation on the field. Currently China is ranked 85th in the FIFA rankings. Surely a country with a population of a billion people could and should do better? If China’s emergence on the political and economic stage is anything to go by, the sky is the limit when they put their collective minds to work on a national objective. Prior to 2002, China had never qualified for the World Cup, so the short-term goal is to get back to the World Cup in 2014. In the process, China hopes to become one of Asia’s premier national teams.
(Via USA Today)
Parents Just Don’t Understand
In an effort to relieve pressure on kids playing soccer, the Charlotte Soccer Academy and Olde Providence Recreation Association’s soccer leagues has instituted a “Silent Saturday” rule for parents of young soccer players. Now, I know over-bearing parents can be a handful, but to play a game of organized soccer without any interaction with the outside world is kind of going overboard. Yes, parents need to learn better self-control, but kids need to interact with their coaches and deal with the presence of spectators to a certain extent. One of the coaches took the rule so literally that he had two players ask if anybody was tired, so he wouldn’t have to. While I am sure the rule was meant to limit parental involvement, I’m sure it wasn’t supposed to apply to coaches. Let’s hope the parents grow up some, so their kids can too.
(Via The Charlotte Observer)
Setback for Indian Football
Indian football has been dealt a blow with the impending disbandment of Mahindra United at the end of this season. The Mumbai outfit, which is currently in second place, is one of the country’s top clubs in the I-League. Its management, the Mahindra Group, has made the unfortunate decision to close up shop at the end of the season due what they call ‘a strategic decision.’ Management did promise to continue their grassroots effort to develop young players. I’m sure that will appease the fans. With their impending departure from the Mumbai football scene, Mumbai is left hoping that the two other local teams facing relegation (Air India and Mumbai FC) survive the drop.
(Via The Indian Express and Daily News and Analysis)
