Maradona wants to attend Beijing Olympics with Argentine athletes
16/4/2008 17:23
Soccer legend Diego Maradona said yesterday he wished to stay at Beijing's
Olympic Village with Argentine athletes as he had never participated in Olympic
Games.
The Argentine 1980s soccer star, 47, added that he did not participate
in the Beijing Olympic Torch relay on Friday in capital Buenos Aires just
because the local government officials and the Chinese representatives did not
guarantee his presence in the Olympic Village.
"I would have participated in
the torch relay if they had promised I could stay at the Olympic Village," said
Maradona in a report granted to Channel 13 television.
He said he accepts
basketball player Emanuel Ginobili's informal invitation to stay at the Beijing
Olympic Village with his team, saying that "it is incredible to be among all the
athletes."
"Ever since I was playing (soccer) in Italy, I said I wanted to go
to the Olympic Games, they never called me, they never told me anything, but I
did not want to demand nor propose anything because I was not healthy," said
Maradona.
"Now that I am healthy I want to take up again my old philosophy of
life," he added.
Xinhua
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