Organisers of the first international football tournament between the different world religions were close to abandoning the entire event this morning, after violence and scandal had marred the opening week.
A tricky opening derby between the rival Sunni and Shi’ite branches of Islam erupted into open violence on the pitch, followed by all out war leaving thousands dead, a whole region devastated, but both sides moderately satisfied with getting a point from the scrappy 0-0 draw. The atmosphere was not helped by the Sunni fans’ frustration at being unable to think up any rude chants to shout at the Shi’ites.
The late imposition of a strict no-mother policy had already led to the withdrawal of the Jewish side, and the Catholic team are still under investigation thanks to an overenthusiastic under-16 recruitment philosophy.
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Posted: Jun 17th, 2010
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