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Following are excerpts from an emotional statement by Ahmed Shobair, a former goalkeeper of the Egyptian national soccer team and a former MP, on February 1, 2012, after the riots that broke out between fans of two rival soccer teams at Port Said that day, killing over 70 people. The statement aired on Modern Kura TV and posted on the Internet.
Ahmed Shobair: Dear viewers, there are 13 dead in Port Said hospital, 11 dead in Ismailiya hospital, and 11 dead in another hospital... All this in a soccer match. There are three lying dead in the stadium. This happened in a soccer match between Egyptians and Egyptians - [the casualties are] among the supporters of Al-Ahly and of Al-Masry, as well as among the security personnel in the stadium.
People died over a soccer match. Is this the outcome we hoped for?! Is this what we wanted?! People dying in a soccer match?! In the heart of Egyptian soccer?!
Unintelligible
Why? Whether Al-Ahly wins or Al-Masry wins - why should there be any dead?! Why are people dying in Egypt? Because of a soccer match?! Because of crazy people?! Why?!
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