The Falkland Islands bowler Cecil Alexander called Argentina’s World Cup banner “disappointing” after his opening men’s singles match at the Commonwealth Games.
Alexander, 45, made the comments after a straight sets 10-3, 7-4 defeat by the former world No 1 Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple of Malaysia.
Just over a week ago at the men’s World Cup, Argentina’s players celebrated their semi-final defeat of England by holding up a banner that read: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, referring to their country’s claim over the Falkland Islands. The banner reignited tensions over the South Atlantic territory, known as the Falkland Islands in Britain and Islas Malvinas in Argentina. The dispute led to the 74-day 1982 Falklands war, where 649 Argentinians and 255 Britons were killed.
“It’s disappointing when politics gets mixed with sport,” Alexander told the Guardian regarding Argentina’s banner. “We are here to compete and represent our country. We keep politics out of it.”
Alexander, who moved to the Falkland Islands from South Africa eight years ago, said representing the British overseas territory had been a rewarding experience. “I am fairly new to the Falkland Islands but I am enjoying [living there],” he said.
Argentina’s celebrations prompted the now former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, to back calls for Fifa to investigate whether any rules were breached when the banner was displayed.
Starmer’s spokesperson had said: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.
“More broadly, potential action is a matter for Fifa, but it’s been a fantastic World Cup and we’ve said throughout that politics should stay out of football.”
Bowls is one of the original six sports on the Commonwealth Games programme and it has been played at every Games since 1930, with the exception of the 1966 Games in Kingston, Jamaica, where no bowls facilities were available. In a Games first, bowls and para bowls are being contested indoors in Glasgow.
“We’ve been to other indoor tournaments but it’s the first at the Commonwealth Games,” said Alexander. “A little bit hot. You would think the outdoors would be hotter. But it’s good.”
Meanwhile Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith became the latest high-profile withdrawals from the Games, dealing a blow to the event on the day of the opening ceremony.
The pair are among nine athletes to pull out of Team England’s athletics squad, alongside the Olympic medallists Matthew Hudson-Smith, Daryll Neita and Amber Anning, as well as Zak Seddon, Anna Purchase, Elliot Giles and Jona Efoloko.
Johnson-Thompson had been aiming for a third successive Commonwealth heptathlon title after winning gold on the Gold Coast in 2018 and Birmingham in 2022. Team England did not give a reason for her withdrawal, although it is expected that several athletes are prioritising next month’s European Championships in Birmingham amid a congested schedule.
The three-time Olympic medallist Asher-Smith had been due to compete in the women’s 4x100m relay, while Hudson-Smith, Neita and Anning were all expected to strengthen England’s medal prospects.
In response to the high-profile absentees the chief executive of the Games, Phil Batty, said he was focused on the quality of talent competing in Glasgow, while also looking at athletes for whom the event will be a springboard to future success.
“It’s really important to make sure we have those athletes that are at the pinnacle of their career and you can see that across the sporting programme,” he said. “It’s equally exciting to see – just like what happened in 2014 – [for] which athletes this starts their breakthrough moment.
Niamh Emerson replaces Johnson-Thompson after previously winning Commonwealth bronze behind her in 2018, while Renee Regis, Ebuka Nwokeji, Tara Simpson-Sullivan and Tom Keen also come into the team. The withdrawals follow the Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson’s decision to skip the Games. The athletics programme begins on Monday.
