TOGO: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Authorities ban public World Cup viewing in Togo to curb hooliganism.
Record ID:
565499
TOGO: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Authorities ban public World Cup viewing in Togo to curb hooliganism.
- Title: TOGO: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Authorities ban public World Cup viewing in Togo to curb hooliganism.
- Date: 20th June 2014
- Summary: LOME, TOGO (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FOOTBALL FANS WATCHING MATCH ON TV (SOUNDBITE) (French) KODJO ANANI, LOME RESIDENT SAYING: "In other developed countries, they put giant screens in public places so that football fans can go and watch. Football fans have done nothing but these people have been banned from showing games in bars. They do not want to promote football in Togo." MORE OF PEOPLE WATCHING MATCH ON TV (SOUNDBITE) (French) KEVIN FOUDA, LOME RESIDENT, SAYING: "You can ask people to remain calm, in an orderly fashion, in order to allow the bars and restaurants owners to continue running their businesses, without jeopardising their businesses." STREET SCENES VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF HEADQUARTERS FOR TOGO'S HIGH AUTHORITY OF COMMUNICATION (HAAC) VARIOUS OF PHILIP EVEGNON, MEMBER OF TOGO'S HIGH AUTHORITY OF COMMUNICATION WORKING ON HIS COMPUTER (SOUNDBITE) (French) PHILIP EVEGNON, MEMBER OF TOGO'S HIGH AUTHORITY OF COMMUNICATION, SAYING: "This is for the safety of the citizens. When the sidewalk which is usually for pedestrians is busy, there is only the road. But the road is not reserved for pedestrians. The road is reserved for vehicles but, when the road is occupied by pedestrians, it is dangerous. That is our concern." PEOPLE IN THE AT AIRPORT OF LOOM STREET SCENES
- Embargoed: 5th July 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Togo
- Country: Togo
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAF3JDN45YXF3B4VRTQOZSX1G5T
- Story Text: At a bar in a neighbourhood in Togo's capital Lome, football fans gather to watch the World Cup, despite a ban by the country's main broadcast media regulatory body, the High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC).
The 2014 World Cup may have kicked off on June 12, but the ban announced days before the tournament began, did not prevent these eager fans from packing this bar to watch the game together.
Open-air viewing centres, where people pay to watch live football are popular throughout Togo, and in a football mad country, the ban has angered many Togolese fans.
"In other developed countries, they put giant screens in public places so that football fans can go and watch. Football fans have done nothing but these people have been banned from showing games in bars. They do not want to promote football in Togo," said one Lome resident, Kodjo Anani.
"You can ask people to remain calm, in an orderly fashion, in order to allow the bars and restaurants owners to continue running their businesses, without jeopardising their businesses," said another Lome resident, Kevin Fouda.
Although Togo's national team known as the Hawks failed to qualify for this year's tournament, football loving Togolese, many of whom do not own television sets at home, were looking forward to supporting other African team participating in the tournament.
But the HAAC maintain that the ban was put in place to protect the public from violence and hooliganism that often occurs at public venues screening football matches. It can get so crowded that people stand on public roads.
"This is for the safety of the citizens. When the sidewalk which is usually for pedestrians is busy, there is only the road. But the road is not reserved for pedestrians. The road is reserved for vehicles but, when the road is occupied by pedestrians, it is dangerous. That is our concern," said Philip Evegnon, member of Togo's High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication.
Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Algeria and Ivory Coast are the five African teams who have qualified for this year's World Cup.
Many African football fans have expressed their disappointment at the African teams lacklustre performances so far, with what some sports pundits have described as a low key start. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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