The entire Basketball team is seen to part the skins around their eyes, making a Split-eyed gesture, which is so insensitive for the Olympic games... Some people may even considered this as a racist remark. Two snaps had appeared, one each of the Women's and Men's Basketball teams occupying one page each of the daily.
This snap had appeared on the eve of their match against none other than China. This ad further rubbed wound in their salts as Spain beat China 85-75 in a come from behind victory that went to the extra time.
Spain had earlier been involved in similar other controversies, in which Thierry Henry was greeted with Monkey chants in a friendly match at Madrid. Lewis Hamilton was also recently been targeted with racist remarks during the testing at Barcelona.
Its not that I am supportive of China in this cause, considering the human rights violation in Tibet which they were responsible for. But still, since people consider this as Spain's golden year in which they won the Euro, the French and Wimbledon grand slams, The Tour de France, and now the olympic gold in cycling, they should had been more sensitive and tolerant regarding this.
The Guardian reports : "No one involved in the advert appears to have considered it inappropriate nor contemplated the manner in which it could be interpreted in China and elsewhere. No offence was intended by the advert, but whether the Chinese see it that way is a different matter"
Its high time the sportmen and women respect the Olympic tradition and stay away from such controversies.
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