`No child labour'World football's governing body on Monday come out in defence of Adidas, the official World Cup ball supplier, accused of benefitting from child and prison labour. FIFA communications director Keith Cooper said the FIFA did not employ a police force to check where World Cup soccer balls were made.Four former Chinese labour camp inmates alleged that they were forced to make World Cup balls for Adidas.
Unsung return
Paul Gascoigne, arguably the most controversial ommission from the 1998 World Cup, arrived back in England yesterday without any fanfare. The 31-year-old former England playmaker dominated the headlines when he was axed from the squad by Glenn Hoddle because he was not considered fit enough for the tournament.
Royal support
If England plays for the World Cup title, it reportedly will have some very high level support in the stands at Saint-Denis. Queen Elizabeth II will attend the final if England makes it, according to Press Association, Britain'sdomestic news agency. The British monarch handed the world-championship trophy to the English team when it won the World Cup at Wembley in 1966. An unidentified `senior member' of the royal family is scheduled to travel to Saint-Etienne for tomorrow's second-round match between England and Argentina. It did not identify the source of the information.
Great welcome
Eliminated from their first chance at a World Cup, Jamaica's national soccer team returned home to a hero's welcome nonetheless. Thousands of fans waved flags and cheered as the team, named The Reggae Boyz, walked off an airplane at Kingston's international airport on Saturday night and were greeted warmly by dignitaries on the tarmac.
The Jamaicans lost 1-3 to Croatia and 0-5 to Argentina, dashing their hopes of a championship. They managed a win over Japan, a fellow World Cup newcomer, by 2-1 on Friday.
The win was the first for a Caribbean team in any World Cup match since a victory by Cuba in 1936.
Loudspeaker
Iam the no.1 soccer fan in the whole world. I have a tank of fish at home, and I made a mini soccer ball for them to play. I've divided them up into teams, and each time a fish flips the ball into a little net goal thing that I've made, I give them fish food - Sunny Fok, a Canadian soccer fan, who says he has taught his goldfish to play soccer. Please dad, get me out of here - German Christian Wurger, 22, jailed for a year for World Cup hooliganism, in a letter to his father. On how his team will combat the physical qualities of the germans?, "With our elbows" - Mexican coach Manuel Lapuente ahead of the second round game with GermanyCopyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
