FAIR PLAY
Fair Play
A fair Star
North Americans sometimes ask "is soc
cer such a violent sport that you have to
give awards for Fair Play?" The answer to a
question posed with what one might term
"malicious naivete" is that applauding Fair
Play is one thing. Actively promoting it is
another.
In this respect, soccer might now be very
active, but the original initiative embraced all
sports. It was taken by the United Nations
over 30 years ago and awards were distri
buted through
UNESCO as from
1964. The first
winner was
Eugenio Monti, a
member of the
Italian bobsleigh
team. Other early
winners included
S Él the U.S. tennis
player Stan Smith and Swedish table-tennis
World Champion Stellan Bengtsson.
The first award in motor sport went to
Denmark's Ole Olsen who, in the 1977
World Championsship in speedway, jumped
off his bike in order to avoid the fallen
Australian rider John Bolger, taking the risk
of injuring himself and, of course, blowing
his chances of winning the world title.
The first award to supporters went to
Japanese volley-ball fans, followed by
those of Dundee United, honoured in the
1977-78 season after FIFA had set up
their own Fair Play Committee in 1976,
naming Pele as
ambassador for the
new scheme.
In 1984, the UNES
CO award went to
the Danish
"Roligans" who fol
lowed their team in
the European
Championships-
many of whom still cherish their copy of a
diploma signed by IOC president, Juan
Antonio Samaranch.
Yet the first footballer to be honoured was
Pedro Zaballa, a forward signed from
Santander in 1961 and who deserves wider
recognition for his 56 goals in 209 games for
FC Barcelona, where he played for six years.
Zaballa attracted UNESCO's attention
after a home game against Real Madrid - a
fixture not renowned as a low-temperature
event.
Real's goalkeeper, Junquera, was injured
while cleaning the ball and when Barcelona
rapidly regained possession, Zaballa found
himself completely alone with an empty net in
front of him. But, seeing the fallen figure of
Junquera on the grass, he ignored the open
goal, kicked the ball out of play and raced to
attend the injured goalkeeper.
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