RSSThe Plight of the Jamaican Olympic Football in Aruba: The Stark reality of Football in Aruba
Here is a rather interesting story regarding the treatment of the Jamaica’s Olympic football team in Aruba. For what is supposed to be an island paradise with all the accommodations in the world, how could it have been so desperately lacking?
- The other visiting teams – Antigua and Barbados – made the dormitory-styled Blue Village their home and they too had complained of the overall hospitality in Aruba.
- Barbados, Sporting World was reliably informed, had gone as far as to contact the CFU in Trinidad and Tobago to air their dissatisfaction.
- There was also concerns regarding the quality of accommodation and ground transportation that fell woefully below what the FIFA regulations stipulate for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games qualifying tournaments.
The writer for the Jamaican Observer hardly made any friends in Aruba or the Dutch Kingdom by merely reporting the truth. Doesn’t that seem to be a trend when confronting their almighty tourism.
Arubans are edgy and fiercely protective of their bread and butter – tourism. This reporter became Enemy Number One to the people of this Dutch Kingdom when he highlighted the plight of Jamaica’s Olympic football team.
One headline in this newspaper screamed: “Under-23s face food crisis in Aruba”. This sent the nation into a panic. So much so that a meeting of the ministries of sports and tourism and AVB officials was called. They claim a headline like that was damaging to the image of the tourism-dependent island.
The Jamaican team, participating in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Group B qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympics, met hardships in their first couple of days in the week-long tournament.
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27 Responses to “The Plight of the Jamaican Olympic Football in Aruba: The Stark reality of Football in Aruba”
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protect what image?? these ppl that are elected ministers need to be shot. What greedy freakin pigs…I dont get the caption???Is there a food crisis on the Island…I know where they van find some pigs to roast…ATLANTIC CITY TRAVEL SHOW END OF OCTOBER…One of our monkees is supplying tshirts ans sweats when needed of Natalee in her prom dress front and back….with MISSING PERSON ALERT…in BOLD and missing in LIERUBA[cant bear to type the name]since MAy 05….
Now even the press from fellow Caribbean nations is turning up the heat on Aruba. I await the day when Arubans will have to go surreptitiously to other islands to work.
Tourism in Acuba?What tourism?Iam never booking a trip or cruise that goes to Acuba.Are you? The Boycott Roll’s On!!!
Sorry….I know some might disagree, but I happen to think the Jamacian team is in the wrong. WTH? The second they land they complain about food, then transportation, and accomodations? The only thing they felt they were worthy of was the attractive young woman driving the “sightseeing-bus” that was provided as means of transportation. Guys you are victims of one to many episodes of MTV-CRIBS! Did I hear gangsta? Pimp? is this what you are thinking Jamaican players? Hey you are there to compete in a football game! At least you won! If you want first class accomdations and the feel you are being slighted, save your money, pay for your AI and go somewhere else!
agreed 4
i put that jamaican story on a thread yesterday.thanks for the credit
Did the Jamaican team really expect “first class” accomodations on the poverty stricken, drug infested, third world isle of Aruba???
BOYCOTT ARUBA AND HOLLAND TIL HELL FREEZES OVER!!
JUSTICE FOR NATALEE
Aruba can’t handle the truth.
Aruba doesn’t deal in truths.
Instead of telling the truth and making things right, Aruba likes to COVER UP–as in the NATALEE HOLLOWAY CASE–remember Natalee, Aruba?
We will NEVER let you forget.
Justice for Natalee Ann Holloway
Aruba sucks worse than any thing that ever sucked before
#4, you are right, I disagree. An ugly bus with no roof or windows? Yeah, okay Aruba calls it a tourism bus but Aruba calls what they did with the Natalee Holloway case “an investigation”.
I believe that the food must have been horrible and we already know they have major problems at their airport where they can’t get the equipment to work.
Once again we see Aruba most interested in protecting “tourism” not the tourists. We don’t see them expressing concern about bad facilities, poor transportation, an unsafe airport, bad food. No, they immediately jump on “don’t say anything bad about us, it might hurt the “tourism”.
Tourists need to take great notice that “one little happy island” is really “one little crappy island” where your dollars are very important but you are not.
#4…I am on board with you.
Having competed internationally as well as sat on the board that organized international competitions….it is not easy.
I have had some pretty brutal meals when competing in other countries. However, I never complained and I just took it as I was getting the best treatment our hosts could afford.
I have slept on floors in “kitty boxes”, a box with a three inch mattress in it at one competition. I have been ‘dormed’ in an old mental institution at another tournament. I have been served some of the nastiest looking fish. I have had buttered potatoes and dill in scandinavia for virtually every meal….ugh!
The reality is that when competing in a foreign country you should expect nothing but an experience that you can remember and cherish your whole life. Take the good with the bad.
The Reggae Boyz should cherish that they are playing a game and getting some attention, a place to sleep, and some free food for doing it.
One has to understand how these tourneys work and who pays for them. They are paid for by the local federations of the sport. If the local federation can not raise $$$ from local sponsors….they can only do the best that they can do. It appears the Aruban futbol folks were attempting to do their best.
My comments here in no way diminish the fact that Aruba is a hellhole not worthy of any tourism. A place where one can take your daughters or girlfriends and find them raped or killed by some of the ‘elite’ of the island. A place where you can count on justice and law enforcement to protect the elite. Aruba is not a safe place for tourism. Boycott Aruba.
md
They are lucky they got back alive!
They should count their blessings, mun.
That was better treatment
than Nat ever got.
I agree with the commentary voiced above however I find it difficult to sympathize with Jamaica after what they did to Claudia Hirschhoch.
Carpe..#11..you are so right..they are lucky they got out alive…Complain about us will ya….they are lucky there were no girls on their team. They might have lost a key player.like we did..GIVE US BACK NATALEE YOU FILTHY PIGS..
Not to mention the mother of a missing 18 year old can just have a jet flown in and landed without anyone knowing it.(Yeah right!)
http://tinyurl.com/2lhsm4
http://tinyurl.com/2r9hcr
http://tinyurl.com/2cnvp7
-Justice 4 Natalee!
http://tinyurl.com/lmf4n
Keep contacting Dr. Condi Rice regarding Natalee’s plight.
http://www.state.gov/
#l6, excellent reminder, j4n, thanks for the help.
dennisintn
I have written to Condoleezza Rice several times, as well as the White House and other federal officials, regarding Natalee Holloway.
I don’t think that any of them even gave me the courtesy of a reply.
The only response I did get was from the Dutch prime minister, who got two letters from me and from whom (in due course) I got two replies … doubtless written by staff, but so what?
And a form letter from the Queen.
Richard I agree with you. Our government doesn’t care. They just stand by and do nothing. Why?
I have written several times, too, and will
continue to write.
There is an easy contact form at the site.
Only takes a minute to remind Dr. Rice about Natalee.
The State Department does not have time to respond to all letters and e-mails.
But I do think that they READ them, so keep writing.
It can only help.
when does julia and crew start telling us how beth and natalee was responsible for this fiasco?
dennisintn
Thanks JusticeforNatalee. I will be writing.
http://contact-us.state.gov/cgi-bin/state.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php Click on e-mail a question/comment(In blue) Then click on Topic…. Scroll down to Secretary of State….Then e-mail an e-mail to Ms Rice
Another idea, for those with strong enough stomachs, is to call your congressperson’s office and try to raise hell (doing it politely, of course).
They will at least keep track of how many people call or write, or both, on any subject, I think.
Generate enough of a stink, and some of them might jump on board. I have written to presidential aspirant Mike Huckabee, who earlier endorsed the proposal of a boycott on Aruba, urging him to speak up yet again.
You never know….
Wow it seems that you guys are very biased and this website just hates Aruba for what? i haven’t seen much wrong with the island and go there every summer and how is it that it’s not safe? Before going and judging others, look inwards and examine yourself. In the USA they have many dangerous places far more dangerous than aruba. Aruba is pretty safe. And about Natalee Holloway it is sad but every police department messes up anywhere in the world. And the Arubans have a better justice system than us here in the US but still they had no experience so how can they be expected to solve a crime when they have no crimes to solve because they are so safe. But don’t take my word for it, just remember that mistakes happen and not much anyone can do at all.
See you guys later,
Onzie
_______________________
SM: Your post is laughable. Where have you been for the last 2.8 years? We don’t hate Aruba, we hate the coverup of the crime (klaasend)
I agree largely with #26. Thisis a very biased attitude towards aruba…I find it so hard to believe how biased people can be towards things especially when they dont even know half of the truth or whole story…Like blaming aruba for the dissapearance of Natalee Holloway and its inability to solve the crime. Easily over half the crimes in the US are never solved. Nor does anyone actually know the full details to the natalee holoway case and just base your decisions on limited information. Including the information on how shit the hospitality was…do you know personally how it was…could you raise that amount of funds easily for such a tournament and extras…Lastly aruba has been known to be extremely safe place..but just like any other place in the world…there are certain locations that may prove to be more dangerous than others….nor does it help to go out and get extremely drunk or do drugs(marijuana)…which most likely though not proven was the case for natalee and her friends. I think what surprises me the most is how her friends and supervisor didnt realise she was missing until they landed in the US…though i can understand that the suspect in question over natalee holloways dissapearance did seem to be a little suspicious.