I was in Rio!
I think it is true that the Fifa World Cup is just an excuse to explain the exuberance and exhilarating experience had by those who attended the football matches (‘World Cup as it happened: Germany 1, Argentina 0,’ Gulf News, July 14).
It was all worth the 14-hour journey to Brazil, but what amazed me is with all the fanfare going on around the football-mad country, I got exposed to the poverty and a lot more that I was not expecting while visiting the city.
I came back home bringing with me a mixed bag of opinions of both the city and the country. The Maracana stadium is the biggest in the world, and I was lucky to have witnessed the goal between Germany and France. These memories, along with witnessing live World Cup final matches in July 2010 in Johannesburg, will be etched forever as blissful memories.
Hopefully I will be third time lucky. Russia is calling me for 2018.
From Ms Sandhya Shetty
Dubai
Deservedly won
Germany’s performance is how it’s supposed to be, having the whole team playing instead of relying on a single player only. This is the strength of the German team so that even with players not being able to play, they still remained fully functional. Argentina had its chances and they failed to turn them into goals. Germany was just the better team and this has nothing to do with luck. It’s not that they got the goal for free. They took the chance when Argentina didn’t pay attention and deservedly won.
From Ms Katja K. W. Khan
Dubai
Facebook comment
Eye on Gotze
Mario Gotze, on the German team, won the World Cup. Argentina’s powerful defence kept the Germans without a strike. If only Argentina kept an eye on Gotze and if Messi would have been more lucky, it would have been a different World Cup!
From Mr Tommy
Dubai
Website comment
The Brazilian performance
Brazil, one of the finest and most fearsome teams in the world of yester-years, has been pulverised to a mediocre non-performing side (‘Brazil, thanks for the memories, keep the faith,’ Gulf News, July 14).
Brazil needs to review the performance of its coach and captain who specialises in collecting yellow cards, and the entire squad. They may need to rebuild a new team from scratch. It is not easy for me to write this. I write with pain. After living in Brazil, I moved wherever I could to make a living, but my heart and soul have remained there.
The Brazilian side needs to understand that you are as good as your last goal. History is irrelevant. Even the Brazilian fans will cease sobbing at their defeats and dismiss their team as non-performers.
I was surprised to see a Brazilian girl on television ask a Dutch player for his shirt after Brazil had been defeated. This would be considered sacrilege in Brazil.
It is time Brazilian players stopped praying, shedding tears in public and start hitting the training ground. Looking at the skies and beseeching for help will not help. However, using the feet adroitly could help.
God helps those who help themselves.
From Mr Rajendra K. Aneja
Dubai
Don’t forget the baby
I have a 10-month-old baby, and I cannot imagine leaving her in the car (‘Abu Dhabi: Investigation starts into death of child left in car,’ Gulf News, July 13). Even when I am at work, I think of her every minute that goes. How can these parents forget about their child for the whole day? This is a criminal act of negligence. I have no sympathy for these irresponsible parents. I feel so sorry for this poor child.
From Ms Marie
Dubai
Website comment
Distracted parenting?
Such an act should not be tolerated. It did happen once that a man lost his child, but after the investigation it appeared that it was his first time to drop the baby off at the nursery and he just forgot! But, how do both parents to forget their baby?
This is cruel. One of them should have remembered to get the baby out of the car seat but neither of them noticed that the baby was not in the house. Did they ask the nanny and the nanny forgot? Even so, nannies are not parents. May God have mercy on the couple’s souls for they have a burden and guilt to live with as long as they live. May this baby rest in peace.
From Ms Lina
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
Mother’s love
As far as I know, a mother can feel if their child is grieving, hungry or in danger. Even now, my mother from Philippines always tells me that. She can feel if I’m sad, if I’m not feeling well and if I’m sick even though I’m so far away. That’s what a real connection is, that’s real and pure love of a mother.
From Mr Bagoas Juvie Gonzales Galutan
Dubai
A prevention device
Time and again we come across sad news in the press regarding the death of toddlers in cars when their parents forget about them with the windows up. This leads to their death due to the heat and suffocation in the closed environment. This is not only happening in the UAE but also in other countries.
I am writing to Gulf News in hopes that someone with a scientifically inclined mind or the manufacturers of cars will read it and invent a device or mechanism that will provide a warning if someone is inadvertently left behind in a car. This will definitely help in saving precious little lives of loved ones who have succumbed to such accidents.
From Mr Taimur Khan
Dubai
Children are precious
This is not the first incident. There have been many in the past and the police have issued several warnings to parents through the media. How can you negate this fact and all the warnings sent out by the authorities and continue to forget? The life of any child is so precious to parents, and I just don’t understand how they could leave the child out in the car the whole day and not bother about the poor thing. Punish them for a lesson to others.
From Mr Adil
Dubai
Website comment
A case for negligence
No words can describe how awful this incident was. It wasn’t the first time as well but, I do believe that the parents are the only ones responsible for this, and they should be charged for negligence. You cannot accidentally leave your child inside the car. You get in with your child, you are meant to get out of the car with them. End of discussion.
From Ms Abegail
Dubai
Doesn’t make sense
I think there is something fishy here. They left the child in the hot car in the morning hours, and the baby was discovered at 9:30pm. This means both the parents didn’t realise that their one-year-old was missing all day. It’s impossible, especially for a mother. It’s impossible not to notice the absence of her own child even for a moment. This just does not make sense.
From Mr Habeeb
Doha, Qatar
Website comment
Wishing a blessed Ramadan
Ramadan is the month of spiritual excitement in the Muslim World. It is the month of fasting and recitation of the Holy Quran, which was revealed during this auspicious month.
A Muslim, while fasting, experiences the pleasure of God’s proximity and the joy of divine blessings. Fasting is not confined to one’s inner self alone, but also has its social effects in influencing the community as an integrated whole. A fasting community enjoys all the benefits resulting from obedience to the Almighty. It is a society almost free of crime, jealousy, gossip, and hatred. It is a society that asserts its supremacy over the materialistic world, and feels proud of its adherence to spiritual values. It is among the wonderful aspects of Islam, which builds human character and develops personality, and help mould social lives.
From Mr Samaoen Osman
Cape Town, South Africa
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