War echoes across sports world

NEW YORK: The war in Iraq reverberated across sports at the weekend with protests at a football match in Spain, an auto race in Malaysia and at cricket’s World Cup in South Africa.

In Spain, FC Barcelona players wore anti-war T-shirts before Sunday’s match and carried a banner urging peace. Many of the 100,000 fans stood and applauded. England’s 2004 Eur-opean Championship qualifier in Liechtenstein, scheduled for next weekend, could be called off or moved because of security concerns. At Formula One’s Malaysian Grand Prix, the Minardi team’s cars raced with a “Malaysia for Peace” logo. About two hours before the race, police removed banners at the track entrance reading “Stop War on Iraq” and “Say No to Bush.”

Peace activists demonstrating near the NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway were outnumbered by flag-waving counter-protesters. Hundreds demonstrated in Johannesburg, South Africa, at cricket’s World Cup final between Australia and India. Some signs were critical of Australia’s participation in the war.

At a marathon in Washington on Sunday, known as The Unofficial Washington DC Mar-athon, no streets were closed along the route and runners stopped for red lights. Organisers decided on Wednesday to call off the real race because of security worries. Some of the 500 people who ran through the capital’s streets wore T-shirts that read, “Can’t blow up what you can’t catch.” More than 6,800 runners from 50 states and 14 countries had registered for the official race. Paul Rades and Kevin Kozlowski won the makeshift race, crossing the finish line together. Hockey fans in Montreal cheered the US anthem before the Canadiens’ win over Carolina on Saturday. The anthem also was greeted warmly in Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto this weekend. The applause in Montreal was a reversal from the jeers greeting “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Thursday’s match against the New York Islanders.

In Montreal, a videotaped message from former Canadiens player Jean Beliveau was played on the scoreboard. The Hall of Famer invited fans to sing both anthems “to celebrate the game of hockey.”  After Thursday’s game, Canadiens president Pierre Boivin expressed “deep regret” for the booing. “O Canada” drew steady boos on Saturday in Sunrise, Florida, before Ottawa’s victory over Florida. The Panthers said they were disappointed “a number of fans behaved disrespectfully.”