Elephants take on men in 'World Cup'
It was elephant against man on a soccer pitch in Thailand today, as World Cup fever took on a decidedly local flair.
Eleven elephants, each one’s back painted with different national flags and carrying a rider, faced off against 11 human players for an afternoon of fun with a moral message.
Organisers arranged the match at a university in Autthaya, about 45 miles north of Bangkok, to convince fans that soccer is about fun and should not involve gambling – which is illegal in Thailand but, nonetheless, widespread.
Police today said that since the start of the World Cup on June 9 they had arrested some 440 people in Bangkok alone for illegal betting that amounted to almost 200 million baht (€4m).
“We are campaigning against gambling during the World Cup because it leads to other social problems, debt as well as crimes,” said Wiwat Harmontree, vice president of Ayutthaya’s Rajabhat University, which organised the match along with the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal.
Each elephant stood for a different country. The elephant representing Britain had the name Beckham scrawled down its hind leg – a tribute to England captain David Beckham.
Players were dazzled by the powerful punts and penalty kicks of the pachyderms.
“It’s very difficult,” said one player, Kriangsak Nachawee, a university student. “When the elephants had the ball, it was quite risky to attack ... I could end up in a hospital.”
But the two-legged side held its own.
After two 20-minute halves, the match ended in a 3-3 draw.
