A New Zealand Maori leader has backed controversial comments from South Africa coach Peter de Villiers that the haka is “overused,” saying the traditional war dance has been “hijacked by rugby people.”
Peter Love, trustee of an organization which administers Maori reserves, told Fairfax media that Maori culture was being “abused” and was especially unhappy with a wave of haka “flash mobs” surrounding the World Cup.
“I’m concerned our [Maori] culture is being abused by the overuse and inappropriateness of the haka when it is performed outside special occasions,” Love said yesterday.
“The haka in our culture is something which is regarded as special and should not be bastardized by sport. Peter de Villiers is dead right when he says it is losing its respect,” he said.
Love, whose uncle is a former New Zealand Maori Rugby Board chairman, added that haka flash mobs, including more than a dozen in recent weeks, with one in Barcelona and another at the Sydney Opera House, were misguided.
“The haka is a challenge, not something which is performed as an expression of delight,” he said. “Who told those people they could do that? The haka is an orchestrated representation of our culture when it is used in an appropriate place, but it is being abused.”
De Villiers courted controversy when he said the face-pulling, foot-stamping dance and chant performed before rugby games by New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa to intimidate opponents was becoming over-exposed.
“For me, about the World Cup especially, there is too many haka around,” de Villiers told the Dominion Post newspaper. “It is unique, to me, and is losing its intensity, but that is only me. People are becoming so used to it. It is not a novelty any more and they don’t respect it.”
De Villiers’ comments prompted an immediate response from the All Blacks, with center Ma’a Nonu saying: “It’s part of our history, our tradition. We’re proud of it. I don’t really care what he thinks.”
The Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by 36 points from Tyrese Maxey and a triple-double from Joel Embiid, on Thursday beat the Houston Rockets 128-122 in an NBA overtime thriller. Cameroonian big man Embiid scored 32 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out 10 assists, posting the ninth triple-double of his career to help the Sixers end the Rockets’ three-game winning streak. Rockets star Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Amen Thompson added 17, but Thompson was scoreless in the fourth quarter. Even so, the Rockets led by nine midway through the final frame, Maxey tying it at 115-115 with 40.1 seconds left. Durant missed a
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. “We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,” al-Attiyah said at the finish. Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a Dacia, only had to avoid a final day slip-up to top the podium after bringing his career tally of stage wins to 50 on Friday. The 55-year-old, who took clay pigeon shooting bronze at the
Tobias Harris on Monday scored 25 points as the Detroit Pistons held off the Boston Celtics to score a 104-103 victory in their top-of-the-table Eastern Conference showdown. Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham scoring 16 points with 14 assists. The win sees Detroit extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to 31-10, 5.5 games ahead of second-placed Boston, who fell to 26-16 with the defeat. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 32 points and almost snatched victory in the
RSS