The protesters many feared would wreck Brazil’s World Cup party failed to show up. While the national team fell short of claiming the championship, the country at least can say the tournament that wrapped up on Sunday night has gone off with only scattered demonstrations.
Brazil avoided a repeat of last year’s Confederations Cup, when more than a million people took to the streets to demand the government spend on education and public services instead of football. But the absence of conflict during the World Cup came less from dissipated anger than attention being glued to the games and police cracking down on even small demonstrations.
Paulo Cavalcantes, a 50-year-old public servant, shouted himself hoarse during last year’s protests, even bringing his teenage daughter along on the marches. During the World Cup, he chose to stay home.
“The police had orders to break the demonstrators,” he said, referring to when officers turned tear gas and stun guns on protesters. “I couldn’t put my family in harm’s way.”
Sunday night’s final in Rio de Janeiro featured the deployment of more than 25,000 officers and soldiers, the largest security detail in Brazil’s history.
During the Confederations Cup, small demonstrations over a 10-cent rise in bus and subway fares in Sao Paulo quickly escalated. A police clampdown on the mostly young demonstrators provoked anger nationwide, fuelling the country’s largest protests in a generation. But during the World Cup, aside from an early clash outside Rio’s Maracana stadium, anarchists were nowhere to be seen.
It was hard not to put anger aside during the World Cup party.
“I know why the World Cup is bad for Brazil, bad for people like us,” said Maria Cavalcantes, Paolo’s daughter. “But I still went out and bought a Brazil jersey. I couldn’t help myself.”
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
