We were so sad to read the news that 13 out of the 18 players on the national Under 17 team defected in New York on Wednesday during a layover on their way to the Under 17 World Cup in South Korea...and relieved to find that they have been located and 11 have come back to the squad. Two players have been sent back to Haiti as a punishment and were replaced by alternates.
We've heard about players using overseas matches as a way to leave Haiti, but this was shocking, not only because it was 13 players, but also because they were on their way to the World Cup and so many people in Haiti were excited and proud of this accomplishement.
It seems no one, except those involved, really knows why this happened. Although these young players probably had some desire to find a panacea in the US, did that alone cause them to forsake their country’s dreams of being well represented in a World Cup tournament? There were probably other factors involved since someone had to arrange the van to pick them up and whisk them away. Some suspect political motives (people trying to make the current government look bad) and maybe these guys had to deal with too much corruption and there was some anger about that. One thing we’re sure of, a lot fans in Haiti will be thrilled to see their team playing in this World Cup.
As you know, our goal in Haiti is to use soccer to develop Christian character and teamwork among Haitian school children, and this incident shows that it is not enough to develop soccer talent in Haiti. Character training must also be included if these young men are going to lead successful and fulfilling lives after their soccer careers are over and make a lasting contribution to Haiti.
You can read more about it at http://www.haitiwebs.com/ in the sports section.
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