Spain World Cup Fiesta Goes Wild, Boosts Unity
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Wednesday 14th July, 2010 BY ALAN CLENDENNING MADRID (AP) - Spain erupted with its But experts said the biggest fiesta in memory Monday when idea of S p ain overcom- its football team returned to a jubilant nation after winning the World Cup, giv- ing it s internal divisions ing elated Spaniards a break from and economic woes months of economic gloom and political because of the World squabbling. Hundreds of thousands of people - if Cup is unlikely to not more - jammed Madrid’s historic become reality. In and avenues as an open air bus ferried the around Bilbao, authori- national team down stately avenues to cheers from Spaniards decked out in a ties blamed sabotage sea of red and yellow, the colours of the for an electrical out a g e Spanish flag. that cancelled an open The celebration in Madrid, where national unity is at its strongest, was air broadcast of the final expected. But there were striking exam- game, and several peo- ples of support from unlikely places: The well-off Catalonia region, which has long ple supporting the sought greater autonomy, and the sepa- national team were ratist Basque region, where anything att acked by sep aratist s. pro-Spain is often shunned. The massive Madrid street party I wouldn t have came after players visited Madrid’s Royal thought the euphoria Palace, normally used only for dreary over the football will state affairs. But team chatted and drinks with King Juan Carlos, who hugged last very long, said many players and gave coach Vicente del Paul Preston, a Spain Bosque friendly punches on the cheek expert and history pro- and the chest. “You are an example of sportsman- fessor at the London ship, nobility, good play and team work,” School of Economics. said the king. Team members then travelled to gov- As for S p ain s fragile ernment headquarters, where they were Spain’s captain Iker Casillas kisses the World Cup trophy as the team parades in Madrid on Monday, July 12, economy, the win may greeted by Prime Minister Jose Luis 2010. (AP Photo / Arturo Rodriguez) soften the blow of the Rodriguez Zapatero, ministers and hun- dreds of ecstatic children invited to the economic news, but it event. won t have a long-last - “They won the cup but it belongs to ing effect, Preston all Spaniards,” shouted a delighted Zapatero. said. Goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas Spain World Cup fiesta said the victory meant “Spain’s name newspaper El Pais, said Catalonia has will be on top of the world for the next a “schizophrenic” relationship with four years.” the national team - and attributed the Next came an open-air bus ride burst of enthusiasm to the fact that through Madrid’s historic centre, the epi- the team played well. centre of the celebration for the second goes wild, boosts unity NGO worker Elisenda Siguerola day in a row. Crowds overflowed into the felt some people were playing up the street and surrounded the team bus, vir- Spain unity theme. tually all sporting the red and yellow the German zoo that predicted Spain’s The party started when the players’ celled an open air broadcast of the final “One thing is football and another national colours along the five-kilome- Victory. plane touched down, flying Spanish flags game, and several people supporting the is politics,” said Siguerola, “even tre(three-mile) route as the bus crawled Such was the multitude clogging the from its cockpit windows, with dozens of national team were attacked by sepa- though politicians try to mix the two.” through the crowd with the players wav- streets and avenues that the team arrived airport workers cheering from the run- ratists. Contributing to enthusiasm from ing and raising the gold World Cup tro- more than hour late at the finishing way. It taxied to a stop as cars driving by “I wouldn’t have thought the unlikely places was the fact that sever- phy into the air. esplanade. Madrid town hall urged no on nearby highways blared their horns euphoria over the football will last al of Spain’s best players are from At the route’s end, firefighters hosed more people to go to the park area, as it in support. very long,” said Paul Preston, a Spain Catalonia - Xavi Hernandez, Carles down fans sweltering in 36 Celsius (96 had already reached its 150,000 capacity. A roar of approval rose as Casillas expert and history professor at the Puyol and Gerard Pique. The team Fahrenheit) evening heat. “For us Spaniards this is important. stepped from the plane and raised the London School of Economics. also included superstar Xabi Alonso, As the parade snaked down the Gran It is a way of showing that Spain is unit- trophy. The crowd chanted “Campeones! As for Spain’s fragile economy, the from the Basque region. Via in the heart of Madrid, Spanish air ed,” said Roberto Lopez, 48 Madrid car Campeones!” (Champions! Champions!). win “may soften the blow of the eco- In Bilbao, Alejandro Munoz said force fighter jets flew overhead spewing salesman. “It’s not Galicia on one side Then the players in their team jerseys nomic news, but it won’t have a long- his daughter was wearing a Spanish out the colors of the national flag. and Catalonia on the other. walked from the plane to a waiting lasting effect,” Preston said. national team jersey on Monday, but On the bus, the players waved flags Juan Mateos, a 35-year-old civil ser- Spanish football federation bus without Joan Foguet, a Barcelona-based noted that “she also has a Basque and saluted the screaming fans below. vant described the celebrations as “a bit commenting to journalists. journalist for the leading Spanish one.” Casillas raised a red and yellow carton of anesthetic to forget about our prob- The spectacle was “very important, it cutout of Octopus Paul, the mollusk from lems.” helps us forget a lot of things, like the economic crisis, for example, or people’s SL Board XI expose India’s domestic issues,” said Javier Sanchez, a 42-year-old photographer from Madrid. But will the ecstasy last? Could this bowling deficiencies be Spain’s moment to unite under a sin- gle flag? Or is it a fleeting instance of Opener Upul Tharanga (110) and patriotism following near economic middle order batsman Thilan chaos when the country was targeted as Samaraweera (102) warmed up for one of the European nations most likely Sunday’s opening Test Match in Galle to default on debt like Greece? hammering hundreds in the three day Spain has been depressed by a debt side game against the touring Indian crisis, 20 percent unemployment and team at Colts ground in Colombo yes- nationalist regions fighting to separate terday. The two members of the Sri from the country or at least win much Lankan Test line up were joined by greater autonomy and near-nation status. Thilina Kandamby, who scored 101. While the spotlight was on Madrid, India’s bowling attack, without the the win led to a rare sight in the likes of fast bowlers Zaheer Khan and Catalonia region’s capital of Barcelona: S. Sreeshanth, out with injuries, and Spanish flags waving side-by-side with off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, down Catalonia’s own red and yellow flag. with viral infection, was made to toil as “It has been very strange, but now it Sri Lanka Board President’s XI posted is being tolerated,” said Saray Lozano, a a huge 432 for five in 88.4 overs at 31-year-old taxi driver from Barcelona. stumps. “If it weren’t for football, you might get Fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and rocks thrown at you” for displaying Abhimanyu Mithun failed to pick up a Spain’s national symbol. wicket while left arm spinner Pragyan Sri Lanka’s top order batsman Thilina About 75,000 people celebrated the Ojha and leg-spinner Amit Mishra Kandamby plays a shot during a prac- win in Barcelona, and about 2,000 people shared the five wickets to fall. tice match between India and Sri waved Spanish flags and wore the team’s Tharanga added 188 runs for the Lanka Board President’s XI at Colts football jersey in the Basque city of first wicket with Lahiru Thirimanna ground in Colombo, yesterday. The Bilbao - actions rarely seen because of (66) as he hammered 110 runs inclusive three-Test series between India and the violent campaign led by the sepa- of 20 fours and two sixes before falling Sri Lanka will begin in Galle on July ratist group ETA since 1968 to gain inde- to Ojha. 18. (Pic by Eranga Jayawardena) pendence from Spain. Kandamby and Samaraweera then Just wearing the jersey on the streets added 180 runs for the third wicket stumped by wicketkeeper M.S. Dhoni The Front pages of Spanish newspapers, published Monday, July 12, 2010, of Bilbao before the win was a sure way with the former requiring just 105 balls off Mishra. to get insulted and risk assault. for his knock which contained 13 fours in Madrid, Spain, some with double page spreads the day after the final Brief Scores: World Cup soccer match played in South Africa where Spain defeated the But experts said the idea of Spain and a six. Samaraweera hit 12 fours and overcoming its internal divisions and two sixes for his 102. Sri Lanka Board President’s XI 432/5 Netherlands. Titles read ‘Yes we are the champions, Spain in heaven, The economic woes because of the World Cup Of the Sri Lankan batsmen, only (U.