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| August 11, 2003 | Monday | Jumadi-us-Sani 12, 1424 |
Referee strike and scoring blunder tarnish Games
SANTO DOMINGO (Dominican Republic), Aug 10: The Pan American Games were close to becoming a farce on Saturday as Brazil protested that a scoreboard error had cost them a place in the women’s basketball final while a referees’ payment strike delayed the soccer.
Brazil enjoyed an excellent day at the athletics as they won both marathons and Hudson de Souza added to his 5,000 metres title by winning the 1,500 metres.
Meanwhile, former world number one Marcelo Rios predictably reached the final of the tennis tournament.
The Pan American Games have been dogged by hiccups in their first week and Brazil, whose own organisational abilities will be put to the test when they host the 2007 Games, have been among the biggest complainers.
On Saturday, the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) claimed that the scoreboard wrongly awarded an extra point to the United States during Friday’s women’s basketball semifinal.
The mistake proved decisive as the match ended in a 62-62 tie and the US won 75-69 in overtime.
Brazil were still waiting for an answer to their appeal when their bronze medal match against Canada was due to start on Saturday afternoon and they initially refused to play.
Brazil eventually agreed to play after the organisers rejected their appeal on what the COB described as a technicality.
Confusion continued as Canada then walked off the court, claiming the bronze medal by walkover, before the referees decided the game should go ahead.
Brazil won 57-46 to claim bronze but were still bitter.
“This is incompetence of the highest degree,” coach Antonio Carlos Barbosa said.
Cuba won the gold after beating the United States 75-64.
The football programme also started one hour late after the referees walked out in protest at being paid their daily allowances in Dominican pesos.
They claimed the agreement was for them to be paid in dollars, a spokesman for the organisers told Reuters.
A settlement was finally reached after which Brazil narrowly avoided embarrassment against Cuba.
Reinier Alcantara headed the Cubans ahead after 51 minutes before Brazil, fielding an under-20 team, hit back through Willian Souza and Vagner.
Cuba also had a late goal controversially disallowed.
Brazil and Colombia qualified from group B, joining Argentina and Mexico in the last four, but Cuba’s Peruvian coach Miguel Company was heartened by his team’s display.
“It’s not everyday we play South American teams,” he said. “We are working to improve the level of football in Cuba, I think we played a respectable game.”
Brazil enjoyed their best day so far in the athletics with Marcia Narloch winning the women’s marathon in two hours 39.54 minutes and Vanderlei Lima retaining his title as he won the men’s equivalent in 2:19.08.
De Souza was delighted after completing his double by winning the 1500 metres in 3:45.72.
“I’m very emotional and this will make me prepare harder for the world championships in Paris (later in August),” he said.
Jamaica also picked up three athletics golds, coming out top in the men’s 4x400 metres relay while Brigitte Foster won the women’s 110 metres hurdles in 12.67 seconds and Germaine Mason the men’s high jump with a leap of 2.34 metres.
Cuba’s Yunier Hernandez won the 110 metres hurldes, making up for the absence of his compatriot world champion Anier Garcia.
Garcia failed to qualify after limping in fifth in Friday’s heats and possibly aggravating a thigh injury in the process with the world championships looming.
“I want to share this medal with him,” said Hernandez. “He’s helped me a lot on the track. This is incredible.”
Rios, hot favourite to win the men’s tennis, needed two tiebreaks to overcome Alexander Kim of the US 7-6, 7-6.
He will face Fernando Meligeni, who is retiring following the Games, after the Brazilian trounced Jose de Armas of Venezuela 6-4, 6-2.
“Meligeni’s retiring and it would be great to be the last person to beat him,” Rios said.—Reuters
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