SPORTS                                         
                                                                 
      

Soccer is the most popular sport in most part of Brazil and of course in Bahia. The two most popular soccer teams in Bahia are Esporte Clube Bahia (Bahia Sport Club) and Esporte Clube Vitoria (Victory Sport Club). In 2007, Bahia played in the Brazilian Serie C, while Vitoria played in the Brazilian Serie B. But the former has moved to Serie B, while the latter has moved to Serie A after slugging it out through thick and thing with other Brazilian club sides. The game that shot Bahia to Serie B, took quite a number of spectators to the hospital while 8 of them were confirmed dead when part of the Fonte Nova Stadium collapsed on them during the game. This ugly incident has led to the temporal closure of the stadium for games until further notice.  Bahia has won the premier national soccer competition twice: The Taça Brasil in 1959 and the national league (Campeonato Brasileiro) in 1988.

In the sport of boxing, Acelino "Popó" Freitas a Bahian native is the current WBC world champion in the lightweight class.

Salvador is one of the 18 remaining candidates for the bid to host  the 2014 FIFA World Cup games, for which Brazil is the only South American bidder.

Apart from soccer and boxing, there are other sports that could interest travelers to Bahia. The National parks and protected areas are generally full of trekking opportunities. The Chapada Diamantina national park in Bahia is a must for trekking. There, the guides belonging to the Guides Association are extremely careful with environmental protection. Since Brazilians took up surfing in the 1930s, it has become Brazil's second most popular sport (after football of course). Brazilian professional surfers are doing quite well in international surfing competitions and several Brazilian surf spots are on the international circuit. You can surf on the beaches of Itaparica Island, Itacaré (much in vogue now) and Ilheus.Locals surf regularly on the urban beaches of Salvador, but beware of pollution: all the urban beaches are polluted during most of the year, except for Porto da Barra, which is clean, but unfortunately, too calm to "pegar onda" (surf)! North of Salvador, the waves are broken by the reef and therefore are not extremely powerful, but are still enjoyable especially if you are just taking up surfing. 

For kite surfing, sailing, scuba diving, cross island swimming and other aquatic or nautical sports check the Bahia Yatch club  and the Marina are recommended for these sports.
Capoeira- can be seen in almost most beaches, parks, but mostly in the historical center called pelourinho. Some places are traditional gathering points for practitioners. This is one sport that  most  Bahia  husslers  know how to play.

                                                   Sat July 1, 2006, 15.05 

The Fall of Brazil in Germany 2006
by mark stevenson fuo



Salvador da Bahia and the entire states of Brazil were as quite as ghost towns Saturday night when the dream of the five time soccer world champions was cut short in the quarter finals of the competition by the black dominated French team captained by the Algerian born three time FIFA nominated best footballer of the world Zinedane Zidane.

The Brazilian team which totally disappointed their fans back home were categorically out of the game by shooting just a shot at goal after the completion of ninety minutes of play and 3 minutes additional extra time. The French team practically humiliated the team. They defeated Brazil twenty years ago, trashed them in France '98 three goals to nil and humbled them with a lone goal that sent them packing out of the most prestigious soccer tournament in Germany 2006.

From the inception of the world cup, the team had shown unnecessary pride and a frivolous attitude in most of the games that they played with the exception of the one against Japan that ended 4-1 in their favor. Critics and experts think it is the fault of Perreira the coach whose attitude of pinning his faith on only old and worn out players led to the untimely dismissal of the seleção Brasileira from the world cup fiesta.

                                                       
Curses of all kinds were rained on the players, all the street decorations that exhibited the colors of the Brazilian flags were torn and removed by angry youths. (see picture) even the kids were sad, the historical center in Salvador which had been bubbling since the kickoff of the world cup with the drumming of OLODUM a popular black percussion group came to an ultimate stop. Football in Brazil is highly cherished and considered as gold.

Quater final brazil against France

Business activities and any kind of dealings automatically came to a halt in Brazil when the team was about to play. The team arrived at the Sao Paulo international airport today accompanied by armed security officers to avoid pre- conceieved attack on the players by angry mob. The everyday life of the people have gone back to normal thanks to the French national team. Though Ronaldo made record as the player who has scored the highest goal in the world cup championship,the football expertise and authority that Zidane exhibited against the Brazilian team will linger on the minds of football loving Brazilians for a considerably long time.

  


                                                                  Fri, June 30, 2006 13:03  
Can Brazil do it again the sixth time?
by Mark Stevenson Fuo


Most soccer loving fans know the story of the world cup and the countries that have been winning it since its inception. In Salvador da Bahia, and all other cities in Brazil. The world cup is taken seriously and considered highly crucial like any other festival in Brazil.

The preparation that comes with the commencement of the D-day is simply awesome. The Brazilian colors of green, yellow and blue could be practically spotted on everything one sets eye on in the country. For verification of this fact, a peep into the pictures could give you a feeling of what the world cup period is like in Salvador da Bahia.

 

 
Since the 2006 world cup commenced, parties of all kinds have been held to commemorate the victories of the 2002 world cup soccer champions. Watching a game around Brazilians when their team is not playing according to their expectations is like been caught in a lion's den. The women more than the men are prone to the use of swear words like Que porra é essa?( What the fuck is this?). The children are not left out in the whole soccer phenomenon. Like their parents, they flaunt all kinds of T-shirts with Brazilian colors and engage in the blasting of explosive fire works before and after their team's game

 

Brazilians are very confident that their seleção Brasileira will bring home the cup for the sixth time. Though, they could be referred to as soccer loving fanatics who do not have the word spirit of sportsmanship in their dictionaries, the bottom line still remains that they are the best where football or soccer is concern the world over. Let's give honor and respect to who honor is due. What do you think? Do you want to contest that they might win the cup for the sixth time, I really do not think so. After all, Ronaldo has put his name in the records as the highest goal scorer with 15 goals in the world cup finals and I strongly believe that he cannot wait to crown his goals by raising the 2006 world soccer trophy in his hands.