Iraq Is King In Asian Football
Written by Major Tom
Filed under: Sports
July 30, 2007
Though it may be true half of the time, “sports unite nations” is mostly a cliché that had been utilized to the hilt through the years; at times just to add theme to a sporting event and then nothing more, like school graduation ceremonies, they always have to have a theme etched in cardboards with close parenthesis and pasted on stage foregrounds.
But this time, sports can actually unite a nation, even for just a moment. When the Iraqi national football (soccer) team clinched the Asian Cup last night, Shiites in southern Iraq went to the streets to celebrate the win by a team composed mainly by Arab sunnis and a lone Kurdish player. And all over Iraq, it was observed that general violence were absent for nearly a day. Now that’s sports not only for unity, but also for peace in a place where peace is but a strange idea.
Wow! This is good news! Kala ko dito lang nagbabati mga Pinoy habang nanonood ng laban ni Manny Pacquiao. Sadly, however, balik na naman sa dating gawi after a while.
Comment by ladybug — July 30, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Ayan lang naman pala solution sa peace in Iraq eh…just don’t pit one team against another within the country–na-iimagine ko sa Europe pag may natalo..grabe kung mag-amok!
Comment by Gypsy — July 30, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
To ladybug: Indeed, good news for world peace.
Comment by Major Tom — July 30, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
To Gypsy: Yun nga ang worry ko kadalasan pag me mga important games involving countries at war. That’s why Israel is not playing in Asia despite that it is within Greater Asia as a territory.
Comment by Major Tom — July 30, 2007 @ 1:57 pm
There was a big Celebration among Iraqi Expats here and another Celebration is planned downtown this coming weekend. Just hope that Iraqis in Iraq can live in peace like the expats in this country from anywhere in the world.
Comment by vic — July 30, 2007 @ 7:03 pm
I’ve seen this news last night and it’s refreshing to see Iraqi people smiling again… maybe they have to compete in every football game and let them win, humour them a bit… hehe
Comment by pining — July 30, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
To vic: Clearly, it was a huge victory for the wartorn country. I was in fact watching the final game live and didn’t really realize the extent of its importance, for by the way, it is not as huge as Copa America or the European Cup—I only realize the importance of the win for Iraq a day after.
Comment by Major Tom — July 31, 2007 @ 7:54 am
The hard line Islamic militants couldn’t care less about sports competitions. To them, a sporting event is a western concept and therefore evil, and that sports should only be used as training for combat rather than for camaraderie.
Just last week, militants blew up a cafe packed with people celebrating the teams’ victory over Korea. That’s ardly a picture of national solidarity.
Comment by snglguy — July 31, 2007 @ 7:56 am
For once, peace for even just a day for a very tired people.
Comment by Schumey — July 31, 2007 @ 8:34 am
Any sort of victory deserves to be celebrated even briefly in a land ravaged by war. It helps boost their low morale and keep their spirits up amidst such devastation.
Comment by Daphne — July 31, 2007 @ 9:40 am
To sngl: Oh, that’s cruel. How different it would have been without the extremists in a land that had recently gained international honor. Peace would have been ushered much easily.
Comment by Major Tom — July 31, 2007 @ 2:20 pm
To Schumey: Only shows that peace could be possible there really, in an instant. But without this victory, the world is at a lost—like bloodshed there seem to have no solution.
Comment by Major Tom — July 31, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
To Daphne: That’s exactly what happened, giving inspiration for a people so wanting in peace and stability.
Comment by Major Tom — July 31, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
Major Tom, we have exactly the same topic on our latest post. I was hoping for either Japan or Australia.
Comment by lazarus — July 31, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
hi! thanks so much for dropping by my spot.
i’m glad for the iraqi’s win. that is the much needed boost our neigboring asians need. anything but another war news could certainly help them out.
Comment by intsik — July 31, 2007 @ 10:06 pm
ill link u up, major tom! cool site u have in here.
Comment by intsik — July 31, 2007 @ 10:07 pm
Just like when Manny Pacquiao has a fight, the whole nation freezes and become one in a couple of hours.
Shouldn’t Iraq participate in more athletic events, to make peace in this country prevail more often?
Comment by rhodora — July 31, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
I wasn’t able to watch it. Anyway, that’s great news indeed. Let’s share in their happiness.
Comment by ipanema — July 31, 2007 @ 11:06 pm
I was not expecting Iraq to win this time similarly—I didn’t know how they can be so good when they won’t even have the right country to practice on and be consistent on it. Small miracles do happen.
Actually, I was hoping that an ASEAN nation wouyld have done good here, but they all were eliminated. But Vietnam made some good strides this time; it’s a good start.
Comment by Major Tom — August 1, 2007 @ 9:22 am
To intsik: Anything but war, as you said; by the way, good site you have over there…
Comment by Major Tom — August 1, 2007 @ 9:23 am
To rhodora: That’s what I am thinking; maybe in Beijing next year, more victoriers could usher more miracles and peace in their homeland.
Comment by Major Tom — August 1, 2007 @ 9:25 am
To ipanema: We need more of this for global peace :->
Comment by Major Tom — August 1, 2007 @ 9:26 am
I did watch the games, and even though I wanted Saudi Arabia to have another Asian cup title, my hear is screaming for an Iraqi fairy tale ending. And it did.
Great game overall. And bad predictions.
Japan vs. Australia in the final? phu.
hehe.
Comment by Rey — August 2, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
To rey: That was a pretty sharp prediction since you know Australia was brilliant and even had trounced a vastly improved Thai team 5-1. But Iraq was a great surprise, and it had that good feeling in that; for peace as they say.
Comment by Major Tom — August 3, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
Oh, good for Iraq… those players must be very proud to bring pride to their countrymen who have been enduring unthinkable hardship. It’s great that for a day, they were united.
Comment by Toe — August 3, 2007 @ 11:55 pm