Own Goal

Well the Argentinean Olympic advert that became news last week has proved to be a bit of an own goal. As ever Kirchner championed this latest swipe at British sovereignty over the islands. As ever laying claim to the islands with politically charged stunts. It does finish with a statement about veterans of the conflict, but fails to mention that it was a conflict that Argentina started. As provocative as the advert is, it now looks like the athlete (Fernando Zylberberg) who features in it, has been deselected from the Argentine team.

This will be a bit of an embarrassment to Kirchner having made such a big deal of the advert by endorsing it. It will also be an embarrassment to the Argentine government as they are always quick to condemn any British publicity over the islands. Not only that but international politics should be left out of sport and really goes against everything the Olympics stands for. Thankfully even the Argentine Olympic Committee has distanced itself from the advert.

With the Olympics drawing ever closer it will be interesting to see what else the Argentine government can come up with to highlight their dispute over the sovereignty of the islands.