'Hand of fraud'

We had a surprise visitor at the office yesterday when Datches Gorres, wife of boxer Z ‘The Dream’ Gorres came to the office to thank the people of The Freeman and Banat News for the support we’ve given her husband.

Z collapsed a victory in Las Vegas last Saturday and had to undergo surgery to remove a clot on his brain. The latest reports that we received say Z is doing so much better.

Datches said that she has been overwhelmed by the support of the people, including those who they barely know.

Malacañang has promised to help her get to the United States to be with her husband, who is now recuperating. I talked with Paul Hubahib of the Office of the Press Secretary yesterday afternoon so he could help Datches get in touch with Sec. Cerge Remonde.

Despite what happened to Z, he is still a very lucky boxer to have a manager who cares for his wards and to have such a loving family.

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France ended the 2006 World Cup in Germany on a sad note after losing the final match to Italy.

Hoping to bounce back in 2010 when the World Cup goes to South Africa, France’s qualification into the final 32 has been tainted with controversy – Thiery Henry’s ‘hand of fraud.’

Henry has admitted to handling the ball twice before passing it to William Gallas. It was Gallas, who headed in the goal for that marginal win over host Ireland.

The Irish are now asking for a replay of the match in the interest of fair play.

I don’t know yet what will happen here, but I believe that the football body would charge that failure of the referee to see the handball(s) to experience.

This reminds us of the ‘Hand of God’ goal of Diego Maradona in 1986 that won the title for Argentina.

That match was never replayed.

In sports, one fact that we have to accept is that sometimes the breaks of the game would win or lose it for us. There is no such thing as perfect officiating no matter how much we may want the game to be very fair, because of the fact that the officials are also mere mortals.

This demand of Ireland for a replay of the game will put FIFA, the world governing body of football, in the spotlight before the sport’s biggest quadrennial gathering.

With all the thrills and excitement in the qualification stages, we’d expect even more excitement in the World Cup happening less than ten months from now.

Well, for us Filipinos there will also be the exciting elections in May that would probably temporarily take the minds of our football fans off from the World Cup.

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings to Jimboy Tiongko and Pops del Rosario, who are turning another year older today.

Tomorrow’s greetings go to artist Celso Pepito and Cherry Anne Flores-Galarion.

More power to all of you! -  THE FREEMAN