Inmates in a league of their own

Football-crazy inmates at the Jaw prison yesterday demanded that authorities provide them with smart cards needed to watch matches on Al Jazeera sports channels, security sources said.

"The inmates handed a formal letter to the facility management requesting smart cards to watch European league matches," sources told Gulf News.

"The prisoners said they were ready to pay for these cards." The two channels are offering telecasts of the Italian league, the English FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Spanish League.

The Bahraini Interior Minister later ordered that four satellite receivers and smart cards be provided to the Jaw inmates.