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| this image comes from here - LINK |
Yes he was an icon and even for someone like myself, who has never understood this or any of the so called "popular sports", preferring to watch friends who fervently watch this or other mainstream events in amazement (it's fun, and a sport in itself, believe me it is), must admit that the passing of such an athlete, one who was constantly cheated by the regime during his time having been kept from accepting astronomical contracts abroad to "perform" his magnificent feats and despite such unfair treatment loved his country (Portugal) nevertheless hurts. It hurts me in many ways but what hurts me the most is to see that having the nation not payed its due respects to its huge cultural icons, among them Nobel prize laureate José Saramago to mention but one (there are more, unfortunately), makes the nation's "official" mourning less heartfelt or significant.
Let me put it this way:
- if for instance any state official had been in presence (let alone decree 3 days of mourning) at Saramago's funeral rites the nation - represented in the person of the President of the Republic (taking into consideration that there are accomplishments and areas of expertise that should never be compared, only the impact upon a nation's people and heritage on the whole), it would have made it seem far more meaningful to witness.
If there had indeed been such rightful, due recognition in the past, in spite Eusébio's not being special or excelling in the fields of the arts or sciences (literature, physics, medicine, architecture, music, et cetera) we would then be saying that he was special and important.
This way the state having conducted itself thus has turned it into a (feeble) circus act, a meaningless, unfelt, heartless act of remembrance.
It would have been far more fair to his memory to be compared to the likes of said writer, Mateus Fernandes, Pessoa, Peixinho, Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, Carlos Seixas, Agostinho da Silva, Egas Moniz.. .(and more from the past as well as others whom fortunately are living and bless us with their incredible knowledge and talents (scientists, authors, athletes, composers, painters, statesmen/women, etc.) - as having been significant to a country's heritage and valour.
A world class athlete, deemed one of the all time top players, he has thus been once again badly and unfairly treated as he had been by a totalitarian, fascist regime in the past.
Sorry dear Eusébio, you deserved better and nobler recognition.
I am so utterly ashamed of our ruling class, so completely and utterly ashamed.
May your sweet soul rest in peace.
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| Mosteiro da Batalha - image from this LINK |
