Marina Izidro: Queen Elizabeth II and her connection to sport

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One day I saw the queen. It was covering her favorite sport, horse racing, at Ascot. The story itself was good: in 2017, a jockey from Maranhão, Silvestre de Souza, became a two-time British champion in the flat race – a race similar to turf in Brazil.

We were waiting for the Brazilian to receive the trophy, and suddenly a lady appeared, walking towards us. It was Elizabeth II, dressed in pink, wearing a matching hat, smiling. Film reporter Rogerio Romera was quick and recorded the moment for the report that ended up in Jornal Nacional.

I had the privilege of seeing her a second time, in a carriage, entering the British Parliament. But some of the queen’s favorite moments have to do with sports. In 1966, she handed the Jules Rimet Cup to Bobby Moore when England won the World Cup at home. Two years later, on a diplomatic trip to Brazil, she saw Pelé play at Maracanã. In 2012, she parachuted with James Bond at the opening ceremony of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Prince William, heir to the throne, is president of the Football Association of England, FA, and the face of the royal family in that regard. He’s the one who goes to football championships like the FA Cup. The queen was known for her neutrality in almost all matters, and it is unknown if she supported any team (despite some Arsenal and West Ham fans saying otherwise).

She was not seen in public doing physical activity, only riding horses, her passion. But she was all over the place when it came to sport. She received Olympic medalists at Buckingham Palace, sent messages congratulating English or British athletes who won competitions, attended the Wimbledon tennis tournament, watched Germany win the Euro Cup in England in 1996 from the podium.

After his death on the 8th, at the age of 96, the Premier League announced that it would postpone the weekend round. In a statement, he said the decision was “to honor his extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and out of respect”. The league that takes care of the second to fourth division, the English women’s league and the Scottish did the same.

Another four games were postponed this week, including Arsenal v PSV in the Europa League and Chelsea v Liverpool in the Premier League, both in London. This time, the reason is the lack of police, focused on the funeral security operation. In the matches that will be played, players will wear black armbands as a sign of mourning.

The decision to suspend the round was controversial. I confess that at first I was divided. “Party” might sound inappropriate. But listening to the other side, I saw how important match days are for anyone who depends on football for a living. Small, self-employed businesses, from security guards to scarf vendors, were out of work. Fans who couldn’t get a refund for their hotel and train suffered losses.

I’ve heard criticism that the FA lives “out of touch with reality, just like the royal family.” Other sports such as cricket were played. The postponement also complicates football’s tumultuous calendar, which is already on hold in November and December because of the World Cup in Qatar. Those who were against the stoppage pointed out that respect for the queen would be to honor her on the field, in the sport that in 70 years of reign she has honored so many times.

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