THE RECENT tragedy in a football stadium which sent more than 70 innocent sports loving Egyptians to their early graves, has been shocking and pathetic, as any ugly event which ever occurred on a football field anywhere in the world. It happened just when the rest of the world was looking for signs that the massively successful 'people-power' revolt which brought to an end the more than 40 years rule of former President Hosni Mubarak, is translating into the long-sought freedom, and a more peaceful and self-sufficient Egypt. The fact that the tragedy had very little to do with sports makes it even more worrisome.For the records, the League match between hosts Al Masry and the visiting Cairo club Al-Ahly had ended in a convincing 3-1 victory for the hosts when hell broke loose, as supporters of the home team went after the much fewer and unarmed fans of Al-Ahly, easily Egypt's most accomplished clubside, and one of the African continent's most decorated sides.After further investigation of the resulting stampede by helpless and unsuspecting fans seeking escape from the overcrowded and insufficient stadium outlets, there have been claims that security forces including the police did not intervene adequately, and that the violence was tied up with the political power struggle in the country.The loss of so many lives has returned Egypt back into dominating the world media's headlines, this time for all the wrong reasons, such that FIFA, the world body governing football, has queried the Egyptian authorities. Egypt's Prime Minister, Kamal el-Ganzouri has consequently dissolved the Egyptian Soccer Federation's Board and referred its members for questioning by prosecutors.Kamal el-Ganzouri has cancelled all the country's league matches, announced the full decision during last week's parliamentary session, and revealed that the area's police chief has resigned. No doubt, the incident is the world's most recent stadium tragedy. The FIFA President is correct to describe it as 'a black day for football,' and that 'we must take steps to ensure that such a catastrophe never happens again.' FIFA should respect the sovereignty of Egypt and encourage a thorough investigation, to mete out appropriate punishment to culprits, whatever position they represent in the society. 'Football is a force for good and we must not allow it to be abused by those who mean evil,' said Blatter. He is right.It is regrettable that when acts of violence and general hooliganism amongst opposing fans (particularly in the United Kingdom) were dying down, state agents and politicians are settling scores and extending their evil ways to the sports field in other climes. What else does one make of home fans, in this case as many as 13,000, coming to the stadium armed with knives, iron bars, and machetes, and then storming the pitch and attacking rival players and their 1,200 supporters'Who can imagine being in the same position as Al-Ahly's goalkeeper Sharif Ikrami, who was badly injured in the clashes and announced that the entire team had quit football, while recollecting that dead bodies were being carried past him in the changing room. Who can blame him' His club's (Al-Ahly's) Portuguese Coach Manuel Jose has since returned to Portugal to ponder his future after being attacked, while his assistant Coach Pedro Barry, reiterated claims that security staff did too little to avert the carnage on the horrifying day.Is this really football, or an unwanted aftermath of the Arab Spring, which had swept off many a dictator, and which was assumed to have brought freedom to the people' What exactly is the gain or loss of the Arab spring for the people who had sacrificed the blood of relations and friends to fight for their freedom' Now, where is the freedom' Could it be that the military, which has now been imposed on the people of Egypt, may not be different from the Egyptian system which held sway since 1952 after all'While not justifying the Egyptian Security Services non-challance and outright insensivity, there are lessons to be learnt. Indeed, security and intelligence must never be rubbished, because, at the end of the day, the society will always need them. They can be reformed. The carnage at Port Said shows that a nation's politics must be separated from sports which, in Nigeria, is perhaps the singular most unifying factor.Football stadia are places where fans should be able to take time off their hectic schedules and all other forms of stress-related activities of finding daily bread, to relax. Leisure is good, and politics should not be allowed to destroy it or scare families away from their favourite sport for fun.Unfortunately, the match in Port Said was not a football match, but an arena to settle political scores and unleash deep seated hatred. This is most unfortunate. We nevertheless hope that the real problems in Egypt would become history soonest. It is important that the Port Said tragedy should not be enacted on any field of play in Africa, including Nigeria. The world can do without such politically motivated violence.
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