The hangover goes around the globe like a Mexican wave — a trail of destructive and sometimes deadly celebration is left after every win and the World Cup “sickie” has become an epidemic.
Bogota’s mayor ordered a ban on alcohol sales during Colombia’s World Cup matches after nine people died in fighting and car accidents sparked by the country’s 3-0 win over Greece.
“We want peaceful celebrations. We must reject violence,” Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro said.
About 3,000 street fights were reported to police after the win in the city of 8 million.
In France, migrant Algerian fans poured onto the streets of Paris and other big cities after their country beat South Korea 4-2 on Sunday.
At least 28 people were arrested by police, who fired flash balls to break up unruly crowds and in some cases were pelted with stones.
Dozens of cars were burned.
Alcohol is causing other World Cup tragedies.
A drunken Mexican fan jumped off a cruise ship deck to his death after his country drew with Brazil. The ship was taking 3,500 Mexicans between the Brazilian cities of Fortaleza and Recife.
Hardly a country has escaped the fallout from World Cup binge drinking.
Nepalese police have caught hundreds of soccer fans drinking and driving after staying up all night to watch World Cup matches.
Police in the Himalayan nation’s capital, Kathmandu, seized the licenses of more than 400 fans in one week, said Basanta Pant, spokesman for the Kathmandu Traffic Police Division. That is twice the weekly average.
Authorities have deployed 100 extra personnel to stand guard at main intersections until 4am, ready to stop beer-fueled fans.
World Cup absenteeism — what the British call “throwing a sickie” — is a widespread problem around the world.
In Britain, employment law specialists ELAS said that “‘World Cup fever,’ the mystery illness that strikes once every four years,” could cost the country’s economy up to ￡4 billion (US$6.8 billion).
Its survey of 1,500 workers revealed that 13 percent plan on “throwing a sickie” to watch matches and 43 percent would take planned or unauthorized time off.
In Paris, Arnaud Monthlery, owner of a small restaurant, said that five of his nine staff failed to turn up the day after France beat Switzerland 5-2 on Friday night.
“As a fan I’m happy that they won. As a businessman I’m worried that this good form will last,” he said.
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa has withdrawn from this week’s Wuhan Open, organizers said on Tuesday, amid a racism row over an online photograph. Tournament organizers said the Spaniard had pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament, citing a gastrointestinal illness, hours before her first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. News outlets including Britain’s the Telegraph earlier reported that Badosa had posted a photo on Instagram in which she appeared to imitate a Chinese face by placing chopsticks on the corners of her eyes. The photo was taken last week in a restaurant in Beijing, where she reached the semi-finals of the
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
Italian defender Marco Curto has been banned for 10 matches for racially abusing South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan while playing for Como 1907 against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a pre-season friendly in July. Curto, who is on loan from Como to Serie B club Cesena, would serve half of the punishment immediately with the other half suspended for two years. “The player Marco Curto was found responsible for discriminatory behavior and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “The player is ordered to render community services and undergo training and education with an organization approved by FIFA.” Wolves said the club would
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