World Cup

The Hungarians could do nothing to beat the Germans defense although they took part in this world cup as the favorites. In 1958 AD, the seventh world cup was held in Sweden's capital, Stockholm.

By Andrew Dahal

The most famous of all the foot-balling events is the world cup. The credit for taking the first initiative to organize the first world cup goes to a Frenchman "Jules Rimet" who established the world governing body of football "FIFA" in 1904 AD. The full form of FIFA is "Federation International de Football Association". As a founder of the world governing body of football, he is also regarded as the ‘Father of the world cup’ because the world cup started only after the establishment of "FIFA".

The first world cup football was held in 1930 AD in the Uruguayan capital, ‘Montevideo’. In the first ever world cup the two lucky finalists were the home team, ‘Uruguay’, itself and ‘Argentina’. Uruguay was lucky as they lifted the first ever world cup trophy by defeating the Argentineans by four goals to two. Their win was not so unexpected as they were the home team and had the advantage of playing in the home ground. The second world cup was held in 1934 AD in the beautiful city of Rome and Italy. This time the previous winner were denied the final showdown rather two new football nations reached the final in order to capture the coveted trophy, which is made up of 18 carat pure gold. Although the real world cup is of 18 carat pure gold, the trophy which we see in every world cup is a replica of the original, world cup which made up of 9 carat pure gold and only this trophy is given to the world cup winning team due to the security reason. In the second world cup, Italy and Czechoslovakia reached the final showdown. However, like in the previous world cup, in this world cup also the home team defeated the visitors. This time the final score was two goals to one to Italy. The third world cup was held in 1938 AD in the French capital Paris. This time the new football powerhouse, Hungary, were competing against the favorites, Italy. But Italy made mincemeat of the Hungarians by defeating them by 4 goals to 2 thereby winning the world cup twice in succession and they proved that the Italian football was no fluke.

While the premature world cup was just having its roots fixed to the ground, the Second World War started. Due to the second world war the world could not be held till 1950 AD. But after the world was stopped in 1945 AD, Brazil were given the responsibility to stage the, what we call the first modern world cup in 1950 AD in its capital Rio de Janeiro. At that time, Brazil was aiming towards becoming the powerhouse of football. Eventually they reached the final and had to compete with the mighty Uruguayans. In this extra ordinary finale Uruguay defeated Brazil by 2 goals to 1 and became the strong contenders along with Italy to win the coveted trophy for the third time. Brazilians were really frustrated by this result but they had to be content with second place. In the fifth world cup held in 1954, AD in Berne. Switzerland, "West Germany" and "Hungary" reached the final. However, this turned out to be a nightmare to the Hungarians as the Germans defeated them by 3 goals to 2. The Hungarians could do nothing to beat the German defense although the Hungarians took part in this world cup as the favorites. In 1958 AD the seventh world cup was held in Sweden’s capital Stockholm. In this world cup, Sweden and Brazil reached the final. The Brazilians had started this world cup as the favorites as they had the greatest superstar of all times the black pearl, "PELE" (Edson Arantes Da Nascimento). It was because of Pele’s extraordinary skill and wonderful play and because of his goals that the Brazilians hammered 5 goals against the Swede’s 2 and ultimately won the world cup. In this world cup Pele displayed his dazzling skills and completely destroyed the Swede defense. It was only because of his brilliance that Brazil was able to win the world cup for the first time in their football history. Therefore, because of his brilliance he was awarded the best player award in the same world cup. The next world cup was held in 1962 AD in Santiago, Brazil. This time also Brazil reached the final along with Czechoslovakia. This time the greatest superstar was injured in the league match, so he could not compete from the second round. However, in-spite of that the Brazilians kept their spirit high and therefore won the world cup for the second time consecutively by defeating the Czechs by 3 goals to 1.

After the seventh world cup was held in 1966 AD in London, England. This time England, where the real development took place and West Germany reached the final. Bobby Moore captained the English team. There were some great players in the English team like "Sir Bobby Charlton," "Stanley Mathews" etc. Therefore, they were the favorites to win this world cup after Brazil was ousted from this world cup in the quarterfinal. This time also Pele was injured and unlike the previous world cup, they could not maintain their world cup winning spirit. However, despite their (Brazil’s) early and untimely exit from the world cup the English and the German sides gave a good enjoyment to the viewers. This final gave an extra flavour as both the sides drew until the specified time. After that extra time, 30 minutes, was given and immediately the English side started giving pressure on the Germans and their labour paid as they defeated the Germans by 4 goals to 2. Then the ninth world cup was held in the Mexican capital of Mexico City in 1970 AD. In this world cup Brazil had their superstar, Pele, back from injury so naturally they were the favourite to win the world cup. This world cup saw to most powerful football nations competing in the final for the coveted trophy. In this world cup, Brazil and Italy reached the final. Nevertheless, due to the extraordinary skill from Pele and the rest of the Brazilian team, Brazil overpowered the Italians and defeated them by 4 goals to 1. And after this world cup Brazil kept the original trophy. As there is a provision that after winning the world cup for three times, the winning team can keep the trophy with them forever. Nevertheless, after this world cup Brazilian football saw their decline as their superstar Pele had retired from international football. The world cup of 1974 AD was held in the Olympic City of Munich, Germany. This time West Germany and the Netherlands reached the final. This time the Germans had the star players in the likes of Franz Backenbauer, Karl Heinz Ruminnege etc. Due to the Germans dazzling display, they ruined the hopes of the Netherlands of winning the world cup. The Germans defeated the Dutch by 2 goals to 1. The world cup of 1978 AD saw the Argentineans emerging out as the champions as they defeated the Dutch by 3 goals to 1. This world cup was held in the Argentinean capital, Buenos Aires.

The world cup of 1982 AD was held in the city of Madrid in Spain and this time Italy and West Germany reached the final. Although the Germans were somehow the much aggressive side, the Italians defeated the Germans by 3 goals to 1. This defeat might have humiliated the Germans greatly. The world cup of 1986 AD, held in Mexico City in Mexico, saw a new superstar emerging out from the Argentinean sides. He was the magician of football, regarded by most of the football enthusiasts as the second Pele. Undoubtedly he was no other than ‘Diego Armando Maradona’. It was because of his touch of magic that the Argentineans won the world cup by uprooting the German side by 3 goals to 2. This world cup is specially remembered as the extraordinary goal scored called by the name of ‘Hand of God’ goal from the superstar, Maradona, in the quarter final against the mighty English side which destroyed the hope of the English of reaching the semis and ultimately the final.

The fourteenth world cup was held in Italy and the final of this world cup was held in Rome. This world cup saw the mighty Germans and the technical but aggressive Argentineans competing in the final for the most sought after trophy. In this final, the Germans defeated the Argentineans by 1 goals to 0. The German forward Jurgen Klinnsmann scored this goal in the allotted time through the disputed penalty. This result made tears roll down from Maradona’s eyes. Nevertheless, the result could not have been avoided. The world cup of 1994 AD was held in the USA and the final was held in Pasadena. After the absence of 24 years from the world cup final, Brazil booked their place in the final by defeating the Swedes in the semi-final. In the final, the Brazilians had to compete against their archrivals, Italy. The Brazilians had the star players in the likes of Romario, Leonardo etc. and the Italians had the star players in the likes of Roberto Baggio, goalkeeper Gianluca Pagluica, Donadoni etc. In the final both the sides tried hard to score but failed although Romario had some the experienced goalkeeper Pagluica put out excellent opportunity but his efforts. In this way, the game proceeded and extra time was added but it could not produce the result, which could decide the ultimate champion. Therefore, the game had to be decided through the unwanted penalties (tiebreakers). In the penalties, Brazil defeated Italy by 3 goals to 2. In addition, this world cup became the only world cup till now to be decided in penalties. The last world cup of this century was held in France in 1998 AD. In this world cup Brazil starred as the favourite to win the world cup so were Italy, Argentina, England and the Netherlands. Nevertheless, in this world cup Brazil and France reached the final. Brazil had their superstar Ronaldo (Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima) with them, which gave them a moral boost. They also had other star players in the likes of Rivaldo, Dennilson etc. France also had their star players in the likes of Zinedine Zidane, goalkeeper Fabien Barthez etc. In this lackluster finale, the Brazilians could not keep up their pace and spirit with the French. In fact, Ronaldo was not well in the final match but still he was allowed to play in the final against France and therefore the French defeated the Brazilians in their foot-balling history. In fact the Brazilian coach and even in some occasions Ronaldo himself was heavily criticised. In this final French midfielder Zinedine Zidane scored two quick goals to give an early lead to the French and because of his foot-balling prowess displayed in the final he helped in destroying the Brazilian defense. And in the dying minutes Emmanuel Petit scored the third goal for the French to even make a great difference in the score line. Although Dennilson tried to ruin the French defense and was successful to some extent it could do nothing to the French side and had to suffer the most humiliating defeat in the history of world cup football.

Why is fear more lethal than bandhs

By Reena Bhatta

The fear of bandh among the members of the electorate can assuredly be billed as more dangerous than the rebels running amok in the countryside. While the insurgency is something which can be talked up some day or the other, the inherent fear in the mass psyche vis-a-vis the so-called bandh is something which seems to defy even the most orchestrated campaign aimed at driving the fear out.

Inexplicable

Bandh, or general strike as it is called, is usually token statement coming from the detractors of the political establishment in place. The underlying causes, for example, can be anything from asking for cut in price hike to revocation of certain policies and degazetting certain controversial provision of the newly enacted law.

Speaking in political terms, it is the right of opposition parties to call such token programs, which are at best ignored by the government in place. It is also true that sometimes the demands are met. But that too will depend on the nature of the demand and ideological inclination of the party or parties which issue call for such bandhs.

But as even a taxi driver knows, the cause pressed by the rebel outfit the CPN-Maoist is far removed from listed above. Consider for a minute that they have best intention in the world insofar as they have not yet given up the so called "People’s War". But what is also true is they have tended to see things in different light than the rest of the parties in parliament. Who does not know or believe that the constitution they are trying to have after holding elections to the constituent assembly can be had even without holding any kind of election at all?

Anatomy of bandh

Which brings us to the bandh we started with and what needs to be done to fight out what appears to be the recurring menace. Granted that the government in place has not bothered to see to it that the bandh is somehow or the other called off. While the government, if one may so argue, could announce a ceasefire and call the rebels to the talking table and thus avert the current general strike, but that would be playing into the hands of the rebel outfit.

The way the things stand, there is no one who can guarantee a return to normal national life once the talks are held. The fact that the human rights activists are working overtime to materialise the peace talks in all earnestness is something which ought to be taken with a pinch of salt. Until and unless, the rebel outfit does not come forth with unqualified request for talks, there is little room to believe that the talks can lead the nation to any further. The only alternative left for the rebel outfit being that they should decommission and announce their true intention. So much for the bandh called and events which led to it. As someone has famously said, democracy also means keeping ones mouth shut.

Drive to freedom

With the anatomy of bandh having all the rings of a conspiratorial game, here’s how one should behave through bandhs. In fact, there are multiple benefits of driving through bandhs. This also includes keeping the shops, schools and such like institutions open in gross defiance of the call. It is tough job no doubt but with the collective psyche going against any call, there is hardly any room for any consequences. The inherent fear of bandh is whittling away the residual drive to achieve anything as a nation.

While the nation’s political process will remain on its normal course through bad phase et al, additional benefits lie in driving a point to the regressive forces that the members of the electorate are a matured lot and thus cannot be expected to be taken on a joyride to nowhere.

In fact, the nation has suffered enough all along its sketchy history. What is also true is the nation has long graduated to what is called a parliamentary democracy, which is ideally speaking enough precondition to herald good governance and prosperity. The fact that it is not happening just yet is something which is debatable and cannot be addressed in a single write-up in a comprehensive way.

Before thinking of achieving any breakthrough on the development front, the nation has hit one of the biggest setback which is not the insurgency per se but lack of right civic sense among the members of the electorate. In question is the five-day bandh called by the rebels and complete compliance by the members of the electorate both in urban and rural areas. In fact, the compliance is complete in urban areas than in rural outback.

Prescription

The ground reality is so much so exasperating that there is hardly any optimism that things may improve even in the distant future. The culture of bandh which came along with the restoration of democracy and was adopted by the opposition parties that it soon became a catchphrase for all including of course the rebel outfit. In fact, the latter is using the same to lethal perfection if we are to take into consideration its current call for bandh. But as always, compliance to a call for bandh has remained on predictable lines.

Meanwhile, the current malady reminds one of what the affected part of the world faced in the aftermath of the World War II. Reeling under colossal loss of both life and property and mammoth task of nation-building staring in the eyes, the members of the leading section of society were lost in a debate on the ways to rebuild the nation.

Even as there were volumnous reports on the next course of action, there was a nameless journalist who went on to quitely suggest in an article in a local newspaper in England that only remedy was sea change in attitude and will power to achieve the desired objectives. Fortunately and unfortunately, Nepal has arrived at that point with the dawn of an altogether different millennium. In fact, all that needs to be done is leave the fear back at home in the interest of the nation. Apart from this, one more things which is equally advised is starting asking questions to oneself and those who are out to derail the system in place. Defiance has to come into play in view of every chances of much more prolonged bandhs in store.

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