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[bg_turk]

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Kosovo and Samiland start a tradition of a football tournament for unrecognized states :lol:
Western Sahara and Tibet are expected to join, I wouldnt be surprised if Nagorno-Karabakh and Chechnya join as well.

Football in the twilight zone
By Simon Bahceli

FRIDAY night’s football match between the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ and Samiland was billed as an international fixture. The floodlit stadium was visible from across the city; at the entrance we bought tickets and received programmes; the players and the pitch were immaculate; the press were present in full, as was the ‘president’ and other local dignitaries. What is more, the match, I was told, was being broadcast live in Samiland in the same way that the previous day’s fixture between Kosovo and the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ had been beamed across Kosovo live.

As we sat with several hundred supporters facing the flags of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ and Samiland fluttering in the cool November breeze above the north end of the several thousand-seat stadium, the teams emerged from their changing rooms and, as in all international matches, lined up to be met by the local dignitary – in this case Mehmet Ali Talat. Then it was time for the national anthems. Although Samiland does not seek independence from the three counties whose borders it spans, it was in this respect more of a ‘nation’ than the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’, having at least created its own national anthem. North Cyprus – as, incidentally, does the Republic of Cyprus – uses the anthem of its motherland.

Friday night’s match was the last in a mini tournament that took place over three days last week between the ‘national’ teams of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’, Samiland and Kosovo. None of the three are recognised as countries in their own right. The ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ is of course deemed illegal by the international community because it was born out of Turkish military occupation; Kosovo is a UN protectorate and technically is still part of Serbia; and Samiland, the land of the Lapps, stretches across the borders of three recognised nations, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Perhaps the reason why the Lapps do not ask for full independence is that they have extensive local autonomy, their own parliament and budget. Kosovo is of course very keen for full sovereignty. But while one may argue over the need for these three teams to exist – after all, Turkish Cypriots could play for teams in Turkey or the Republic of Cyprus; Lapps could play for Sweden etc; and Kosovans could play for Serbia and Montenegro – one could not ignore the enthusiasm with which the organisers took on the the project. This set of matches will, apparently, not be a one-off. Next year a 16-team tournament is planned involving other unrecognised ‘states’ such as Western Sahara and Tibet, and will, according to Samiland’s team manager Isak Ole Heatta, take place in northern Cyprus. The 16 teams will, we were told, be playing for what has been dubbed the Nelson Mandela Cup.

As for the mini-tournament at hand, Friday’s match would be vital for the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’. Having beaten Kosovo 1-0 the previous day, a victory would be the clincher. Samiland lost 4-1 to Kosovo on Wednesday.

Yasin scored for the Turkish Cypriots after 12 minutes, but were met with an equaliser three minutes later from Samiland’s Andres Einind. There then came a flurry of Turkish Cypriot goals, and with two more from Yasin, another two from Kemal, and one from Ugur, victory was complete. Samiland managed one more goal scored by Jones Johansen, bringing the final score to 6-2.

Sport and politics are not supposed to mix, but in Cyprus – as in many problematic places around the world – nothing is separable from politics. And this tournament, although refreshingly devoid of political dogma, either deliberate or inadvertent, sends a political message to those who will acknowledge it.

As a Greek Cypriot friend told me after the match, “People shouldn’t laugh at this. In a few years you people could surprise us”.

“What about reunification?” I asked. She smiled wryly, but did not answer.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005

[Bullika]

wheres Samilland? I havent heard of that one, or is it Somaliland?

[bg_turk]

Don't you know about the Sami minority in Norway, Sweden and Findland. It is the group that is indigenous to Lapland, but their homeland is divided by these three countries.
they are really short, blond, blue eyes, and speak their own language. I ve met a few.

[garbitsch]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami

[Bullika]

so we cant say Lappland anymore? is it politically incorrect?

[Crash Test Dummy]

I am undiced on this idea. Intrestign though