- Title: JAPAN: SAUDI ARABIAN SQUAD CONTINUE PREPARATIONS AHEAD OF WORLD CUP START.
- Date: 30th May 2002
- Summary: SAPPORO, JAPAN (MAY 31, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SAUDI TEAM BUS ARRIVING AT TRAINING GROUND 2. VARIOUS VIEWS OF TRAINING 3. PRINCE NAWAF BIN FAISAL BIN FAHAD BIN ABDUL AZIZ, VICE CHARMAN OF SAUDI FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, ARRIVING FOR PRESS CONFERENCE 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) PRINCE NAWAF BIN FAISAL BIN FAHAD BIN ABDUL AZIZ, VICE CHARMAN OF SAUDI FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION SAYING: "We are performing to show a civilized image of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of Islam in particular. Because any idea about Islam - Islam is always the religion of love, the religion of peace, the religion of eternity and asks the people for the welfare and for good and love amongst people. It also asks for taking care - for any person to take care of his body. This is the message of Islam that all the people must understand." 5. WIDE SHOT Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th June 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SAPPORO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Reuters ID: LVA38NTMNNO88IDTBRIXRCET7BGZ
- Story Text: Saudi Arabia has qualified for its third World Cup in a
row - and while little is known about the squad, few
underestimate their potential for causing an upset in the
qualifying stages.
One of the World Cup's less storied teams arrived for a
training session at Shirahata Mountain stadium in Sapporo late
on Thursday (May 30).
Saudi Arabia are in group E along with Germany, Ireland
and Cameroon and the team from the oil-rich Gulf kingdom will
do well to emulate their performance in 1994 when they made it to
the second round.
In Sami Al Jaber, playing in his third consecutive finals,
the Saudis have an experienced playmaker but the rest of the
team, despite being one of Asian soccer's perennial
powerhouses,
is little known outside the kingdom.
For the Saudis - their group matches are a chance to set
that right.
"We are performing to show a civilized image of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of Islam in particular," said Prince Nawaf
bin Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdul Aziz, the vice chairman of the
Saudi FA.
"Islam is always the religion of love, the religion of
peace, the religion of eternity and asks the people for the welfare
and for good and love amongst people," he added.
Saudi Arabia meet Germany in Sapporo, on Japan's northern
Hokkaido island, on Saturday (June 1).
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