‘Shaheen the Camel’ turns soothsayer
Dubai: If ‘Paul the Octopus’ successfully predicted the outcome of matches in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, then ‘Shaheen the Camel’ has taken on the mantle of a booming animal oracle this time around in Brazil.
Shaheen, an Emirati camel, who was discovered by a Gulf News videographer before the start of the mega event, has so far got all the predictions spot on.
There are many more animals in the guessing game, but Shaheen is the only one with a 100 percent record after predicting the winners of the Spain-Netherlands and the England-Italy contest.
Sitting on the desert sand, the camel is made to choose from the flags of competing nations placed in front of the animal with a football in between and it conveniently picks the winner with its teeth.
The names of other predictors are Big Head the Turtle, Flopsy the Kangaroo, China’s Pandas, Nelly the Elephant, Roo the dog. (PTI)
Syria activists brave war to watch World Cup
Beirut: Young Syrian opposition activists living with the constant dangers of more than three years are war are braving bombardment by government forces and jihadists’ threats to watch their favourite World Cup teams.
In Raqa province, controlled by powerful jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), one young activist and avid football fan risked the extremists’ anger to sneak out to watch Spain play the Netherlands.
“Members of ISIL raided the cafeterias on the first day of the World Cup, and forced the young people to go pray,” said the activist who identified himself as Abu Ibrahim.
“Football, they said, distracts the mind from worshipping God. So I watched Friday evening’s match, Spain-Netherlands, at a friend’s house. We were worried they might raid us there, so we made sure not to make a sound even when there was a goal,” he said.
Abu Ibrahim, a Brazil fan, is one of the few in Raqa who dares to communicate with the outside world about his opposition to ISIL, which has a reputation for abuses including summary executions and kidnappings.
“They want everything to be sad and bleak. But I love life and I love football,” Abu Ibrahim told AFP. (AFP)
Croatians impose press boycott
MANAUS (Brazil): Croatia’s players are refusing to talk to World Cup reporters after photos were published of them bathing nude in the team’s swimming pool, coach Niko Kovac said on Sunday.
Two photographers hid in the nearby bushes and took the pictures which were published by online media.
“I can’t force them to be at your disposal after what you have done to them and their families,” an angry Kovac told reporters in the team’s Praia do Forte training base.
“How would you feel if someone took naked pictures of you? They are adamant that they won’t speak to you lot anymore and I don’t know whether the silence will end tomorrow or last until the end of our World Cup campaign. “I respect my players’ opinion and I also know that you have done a very professional job so far but you blew it with this one. The whole world has seen the photos.” Croatia play Cameroon in the hot and humid Amazon city of Manaus on Wednesday in what is a must-win game for both sides after the Croatians lost their opening Group A match to hosts Brazil 3-1 while the West Africans were beaten 1-0 by Mexico. (Agencies)